Just Another Night in the Band
by AngelaMay234
Summary: All it took was one attack to get things rolling, and now no one knows how they'll be able to stop it. Sequel, A Lover's Dozen, is up, but on indefinite hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**_Indigo Rain #1_**

 _Just Another Night in the Band_

* * *

 _"You'll never belong here."_

 _"Get out!"_

 _"You're only here because they felt sorry for you!"_

 _"Why won't you die already?!"_

 _"Nicky? Nicky!"_

I leapt awake. Or at least, I tried to. Something was holding me back, keeping me trapped. My head felt heavy, my heart racing, my body aching. I fought as hard as I could, hearing broken shouts that blurred together. Was I dreaming? Was I awake? Was I back in that hell? I threw myself forward, my wrists stuck, strapped down.

Oh, no…

 _"Nick!"_

No, not again!

"Nick!"

A sharp pain upside my already pounding skull, sending my head whipping to the side. Panting so hard I was almost choking, I turned to the source: a dark-furred wolf in unzipped coveralls and a dirty shirt. Carlos. He crossed his arms, his eyes flashing.

"About time you woke up," he snapped. "You've been screaming for hours!"

I turned away from him, clenching my jaw, squeezing my eyes shut. I shoved back the fear, shoved it so far it was like it didn't exist. But it always would, no matter how hard I tried. I caught my breath, looking down to see my wrists really were strapped down, to the metal bars of a hospital bed. I uncurled my fists, feeling blood well across my paws where my claws had dug in. I laid back, looking at Carlos, who was already tapping away at his phone.

"W-What happened?" I coughed. My throat was raw, scratched. He looked at me, rolling his eyes and holding his phone an inch from my muzzle.

 _'Concert Shut Down As Drummer Goes Crazy!'_

The picture under the headline showed a brown, black-maned lion jumping over a drum set, his face wild, mouth gaping open. That growl echoed in my head, dragging me back to that night.

 _"Glitching out this shattered system," I pulled away from the mic, flashing a grin that set half the audience screaming in a whole new way. "Survival now, this is our mission!"_

 _The band stopped at a crash behind us. Trevor was writhing behind his kit, claws tearing at his vest, ripping hair from his mane. I froze as he climbed back on all fours, snarling and growling, claws flashing in the lights. His eyes locked on me, frozen with the mic clenched in my paw. My eyes darted to it, my locked-down mind coming up with the only plan it could._

 _I threw the mic down as hard as I could, feedback blasting as it rapped against the stage. I covered my ears against the screech, jumping aside when he sprang at me. He shook his head, pawing at his face. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he acting like this?_

 _"Nick, move!"_

I gasped, tearing away the memory. I stared blankly ahead, feeling tears seep through my sweat-soaked fur.

"I-Is everyone okay?" I asked lowly. "How long has it been?"

Carlos sighed.

"They managed to stop Trevor before he caused too much damage," he started. "A speaker fell when he crashed into it, and you ended up under it. You've been out of it for two days."

I glanced sidelong at him, knew from his tone it wasn't the whole story. I wouldn't be restrained like this if I'd just been out cold. Before I could ask, could confirm what I was sure had happened, someone knocked on the door. Another wolf, white as his lab coat, stepped in.

"Visiting hours are over in twenty minutes," he started, then looked at me. "The police are here to speak with you, Wilde."

"Me?" I tugged at the restraints again. No way was I going to let a cop see me like this. Not again. "Untie me and I'll do whatever they want."

The wolf hesitated before nodding, looking over his shoulder and murmuring something to whoever was behind him. He closed the door, walked to the bed and untied the restraints. I instantly pulled my paws to my chest, shivering as I shoved a new wave of the past away.

"Okay," I swallowed. "Let him in."

The wolf nodded, holding the door open before stepping out and shutting it again. I glanced at Carlos, biting back a gasp when a gray flash landed at the foot of the bed.

"Hello, I'm Officer Judy Hopps of the Zootopia Police Department. I'd like to ask you some questions about…"

The rabbit trailed off when she looked up, staring at me with her mouth hanging open.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, you're Nick Wilde!"


	2. Chapter 2

I blinked. I couldn't have heard that right. A bunny at the ZPD? I shook my head, unable to hold back a laugh.

"That's rich, Carrots," I chuckled again. "Seriously, where's the cop I'm supposed to talk to?"

She huffed, walking up to me and stabbing a tiny finger in my chest.

"I _am_ the officer you're supposed to talk to," she said. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me Carrots."

"Oh, so sorry, officer," I said mockingly. I leaned forward until my muzzle brushed hers. "Maybe I should call you cute, instead? That's all I see when I look at you."

Her big eyes narrowed, and she stepped back.

"Don't call me cute," she said evenly. "Unless you're okay with being called shifty. Or how about untrustworthy?"

I scoffed.

"Call me whatever you like," I sat back, putting my paws behind my head. It hurt, but I wasn't about to let her know. "I won't be able to take it seriously."

She huffed again, crossing her arms, her foot thumping on the bed. A few seconds later, she threw her arms down, walking back to me and plopping down next to me.

"Then maybe you'll take _this_ seriously," she leaned closer, her nose an inch from my ear. "Nicholas P. Wilde, you are under arrest."

"What?!" I turned to glare at her. "For what?"

She leaned back, taking a notepad and carrot pen from her belt.

"Harassing an officer, to start with," she tapped the pen against her cheek. "I'll also tack on disturbing the peace while I'm at it."

"Disturbing the peace?!" I sat bolt straight, the fur on my neck standing on end. "I've been unconscious for the last two days, bunny. How the hell could I have disturbed anyone's peace?!"

She just looked at me before shaking her head.

"That's not what I've heard around here, _fox_ ," she emphasized. She flipped through her notebook. "According to most of the mammals I've talked to, you've spent the last two days going in and out of screaming fits. You were also violent to the point they had to restrain _and_ tranquilize you to keep you out."

I knew from the smug look on her face that my jaw had dropped. I whirled to Carlos, who looked about as scared as a wolf could.

"Amazing how all that slipped your mind, Carlos," the words were tinged with a growl I was barely keeping back. The bunny chuckled.

"Now, don't go blaming him," she started, going back to the page she'd been on. "And unless you _do_ want to deal with these charges in court, I suggest you tell me what I came to find out."

I felt my claws dig into my paws again, almost tearing off the fresh scabs. I whirled to her, and she just smiled back.

"Ask your damn questions," I snapped flatly. "Then get the hell out."

She hopped to her feet, throwing up one paw in a mock salute.

"Yes, sir!"

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help laughing a bit. She was a character, I'd give her that. She smiled, putting pen to paper as she sat back down.

"Now, did you notice anything strange before your drummer went crazy?"

* * *

"Just one last question, Slick," she flipped to a fresh page. I groaned, falling back. She'd been here for hours already, and had also given me my own stupid nickname.

"I already told you everything I can, Carrots," I said for the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes. "The concert started without a hitch, then in the middle of our last song, Trevor just falls over, writhes on the stage, then gets up completely insane. Thousands of mammals saw it, so why don't you go piss one of them off?"

"Trust me, I'd love to," she didn't miss a beat, smirking at me over her notepad. "But I think most of them were distracted by your little acrobatics show, or were too busy screaming and running for the exits."

I scoffed.

"That 'little acrobatics show' was us trying to keep Trevor contained," I said. "We would've been screwed if he'd gotten into the audience!"

She nodded, looking through her notes.

"According to your security team, no one else in the band was hurt besides you and Trevor. They had to dart him six times before he finally went down."

"I don't remember anything between that speaker falling on me and waking up here," I crossed my arms. "So if you want to know anything else, you'll have to talk to the rest of the band."

"I've already talked to them," she flipped the notebook closed. "They weren't able to offer up much more than you did."

I scowled at her.

"Then why bother coming here in the first place?"

She shrugged, getting up and tucking the pad and pen in her belt.

"I wanted to be sure you couldn't offer anything else," she looked at me. "And you really think I'd miss a chance to talk to the infamous Nick Wilde?"

"Infamous?" I put a paw to my chest. "I'll have you know I'm an upstanding citizen!"

She chuckled.

"I can think of a lot of words to describe you," she looked at me, then shook her head. "But 'upstanding citizen' aren't what come to mind."

"Oh, now I'm really hurt," I clasped my paws. "You're breaking my heart here!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe your performance will be better after you get some sleep," she hopped to the floor. "Just try and relax for a bit, I think it'll be a while before Chief Bogo lets us finish with you."

I groaned, falling back. All it did was send a bolt of pain through me.

"Oh, I can't wait."


	3. Chapter 3

My security team's done a sweet job keeping the press out, but I'm still hit up by fans whenever I leave my room. Not that I've had many chances for that the past week. They still haven't figured out why Trevor 'went savage', or why I kept going nuts while I was unconscious, but they seem to think keeping me locked in here is going to get them answers.

They kept me tied to the bed a couple days after that rabbit left, before finally figuring out I wasn't gonna snap and eat somebody. Without them asking first. I'm just classy like that.

I climbed out of bed and went to the window, pushing back the curtain enough to look outside. I was stuck on the third floor, a couple news vans still milling around in the parking lot. Reporters were crowded at the front doors, some of them trying to push their way inside. I smirked when Ed and Rocco shoved them back; I could hear the lions growl as the cameras flashed in their faces.

"Looks like you're quite the big shot, Slick."

I jumped, scowling when I saw the bunny laughing back at me.

"I thought the cops were done talking to me," I let the curtain drop, going back to my bed. She hopped right up and made herself comfy.

"I never said we were," she held up her paws when I reached for the call button. "And relax, I'm only here in a non-official capacity."

I rolled my eyes, leaning back against the head of the bed.

"Okay, so why are you here then?" I asked. "It can't be because you're a fan of…"

I trailed off when I saw her shirt, _Savage Wilde_ slapped across her chest with me and the rest of the band posed in front of it. She looked down at it, her ears going limp.

"Y-You guys are my favorite band," she admitted, still staring at the bed. "I've got all your albums."

I blinked, then shook my head. I didn't know why I was so surprised, she wouldn't be the first prey to be a fan. I sat back.

"I would've taken you for more of a hip-hop bunny," I flashed a smile. She groaned, tugging on her ear.

"If I hear that damn joke one more time…" she muttered, then glared at me. I laughed.

"I just didn't take you for a punk fan," I said. My grin dropped. "It's supposed to be _predator noise_ after all."

There was still a big divide between prey and predators, and that spread right to music. Basically, pretty much anything that wasn't happy, sappy or able to put a two-year-old to sleep was looked down on. Just like every other "loud" and "aggressive" thing we were known for. She huffed.

"It could be alien music and I wouldn't give a damn," she punched the mattress. "It shouldn't matter who makes it, anyone should be able to listen to it without some stupid stigma attached."

"Mind spreading that to the public?" I nodded toward the window. "There's a sea of reporters out there that would love to help."

She stared at me before rolling her eyes and huffing again.

"I've wanted to meet you since I heard your first song," her eyes narrowed. "I thought, since you're one of the few predators who've made it big, that you'd be different. But you're just another arrogant prick."

I laughed out loud.

"Listen, Carrots," I swiped a tear from my eye. "If you really think that, then you're even more naïve than you look."

I leaned forward, flashing my teeth.

"To be fair, you are the first girl who's come to my room just to talk."

She flushed a second, then shook it away. She got to her paws and knees, so her nose was almost pressed against mine.

"You must be pretty fast, then," she smirked. "I don't think I've ever heard about you sleeping with a girl more than once."

"Oh, ouch," I pulled back. "Low blow, Carrots."

She laughed, sitting again.

"Don't dish it if you can't take it, Slick."

I leaned back, putting my hands behind my head.

"Why'd you really come back here, Carrots? I'm sure you have better things to do than waste your time talking to some 'arrogant prick'."

She flushed again, and this time, it stuck. She swallowed.

"I-I just figured you'd like some c-company," she stammered, not looking at me. "I-It's got to be boring, lying in here all day…"

I shrugged.

"Hasn't been that bad, don't really get much down time," I thought a second. "Well, where I'm not being hounded by reporters or fans."

I glanced at the window. It was hard to tell, but it sounded like the paparazzi sea had finally split. Her huge ears perked forward.

"So you never get any time to yourself?" she asked. "Ever?"

"Eh," I stretched my arms in front of me. Her eyes locked on me, her nose twitching. "All part of the price of fame."

She kept staring at me after I let my arms drop, to the point I thought she'd short-circuited from the sight. I cocked a brow, waving a paw in her face.

"Uh, hey, Carrots?" I snapped my fingers. "You still in there?"

She blinked like a broken headlight, shaking her head and pressing her paws to her cheeks.

"Huh? What?" she looked at me like she just realized I was there. "Did you say something?"

"No," I pulled back. "But you were staring at me like I was a prime cut of beef."

Her ears dropped, the insides beet red.

"I don't eat meat," she started, then slipped off the bed. "And I've got to get going. I still have a lot of work to do about this case."

She stopped half-way to the door, keeping her back to me.

"I-It was nice talking to you again, Slick. See you."

She motored out before I could say anything, leaving the door open. A couple minutes later someone tapped on it, Mercy and Paul sticking their head in. She pushed her purple hair from her face, her fur white as Tundratown. She was an arctic fox, our backup vocalist and an old fling of mine.

"How you feeling, Nick?"

"Fine," I rotated my shoulder. "Could use some real food, though."

She giggled, pushing the door open and strolling inside. Paul stood in the doorway a second before following, shutting it behind him and standing next to her. The lynx was so quiet and nervous off-stage, it was hard to believe he was one of the best guitarists in the country. Besides me, of course. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but me.

"How's Trevor?" I asked. "He still going nuts?"

Mercy sighed.

"Yeah," she said sadly. "The docs can't seem to find any way to get him back to normal."

I crossed my arms.

"And I'm guessing they still have no idea how he went insane in the first place, right?"

"Nope," Paul threw his paw down, shoving them in his pockets. "They haven't really told us too much, though. I think the cops are trying to keep this one secret."

"No surprise there," Mercy cut in. "Half the force and a third of the city are preds; they probably just don't wanna start a panic."

"Makes as much sense as anything else about this," I put my arms behind my head again. "What'd you guys think of that bunny cop that talked to you?"

Paul blinked.

"What bunny? The cop I talked to was a rhino."

Mercy nodded.

"And I spoke with a tigress," she looked at me. "Is there really a bunny on the force? When did that happen?"

"Must've been pretty recently," I leaned against the plastic headboard. "I'd never seen her before she barged in here the first time."

"First time?" her eyes narrowed. She was still pissed about how things had ended. "We only spoke to the cops once, how many times has this bunny talked to you?"

"This was the second time," I scratched my cheek. "She left just before you two showed up."

My tail flicked against the bed.

"Said she was here in a 'non-official' capacity," I went on. "Found out she's a fan."

My tail thumped again. Why did thinking about her have me so agitated all of a sudden?

"How much longer are they gonna keep you here?" Paul asked. "It's already been a week since Merc and I were let go."

She punched his shoulder.

"I told you not to call me that, Short Tail," she turned away from him, her own bushy tail slapping him in the face. I chuckled.

"Another day or so, I guess," I kept the smile. "And how about you try not to kill each other before then?"

She huffed.

"No promises."

Paul shrugged, following her out.

"I can only promise to do my best."

* * *

 _I'm trying to find a prey animal that's bigger than a fox, but not insanely bigger. The only ones I can think of so far are deer and gazelles. It's an important plot point, and I don't want to use sheep since they were the villains in the movie. Anyone have any suggestions?_


	4. Chapter 4

Trevor had vanished. A few hours before I was discharged, I finally got clearance to see him. He'd been locked up even more tightly than I was, stuck in a cell in the basement while they tried to figure out what the hell had gone wrong with him. I slammed the docs for info, even tried to bribe a few, but no one would tell me anything. All I could get was some whispering I overheard, something about a new drug that was making its way through under town.

Paul and Mercy were waiting when I got to the entrance, Mercy staring off into space while he banged his head on the wheel.

"This can't be happening," he muttered. I climbed in the back, throwing my duffle bag on the floor. "It…can't…be…happening!"

"Well, guess what?" she glared at him. "It is, and there's nothing we can do about it!"

I groaned, leaning forward.

"Arguing about it's not gonna solve anything," I snapped. "Paul, stop at the station. I've got someone there who can help us."

"Right," he didn't argue, peeling out of the parking lot. He glanced at me in the mirror. "Wait, it wouldn't be that bunny cop, would it?"

I sat back, crossing my arms.

"She's the only cop I know that's willing to talk to me," I said. "Without trying to pin something on me in the process."

"But you've only talked to her twice," Mercy spoke up. " _And_ she's prey. How do you know you can really trust her?"

I hated to admit it, but she had a point.

"I don't know," I said. "I just feel like I can. Besides, she's a fan."

Neither of them looked convinced. They looked at each other, then Mercy shrugged.

"As long as you're sure," she sighed. "I just don't want you getting hurt again…"

I tensed, shoving away the memories that tried to take over. I'd just be wasting time if I let myself think about it.

"This isn't about me," I stared at the station as we pulled into the lot. "Trevor's missing, and we won't be able to find him ourselves."

Paul stopped at the curb, turning back to me.

"Just…don't do anything stupid this time, alright?"

I chuckled.

"No promises."

It was hard to miss the looks when I walked in, the paws and hooves reaching for pockets to grab their wallets. The only difference was it wasn't as obvious as it is on the streets. I kept my stance relaxed, strolling to the front desk, cocking a brow at the fat cheetah sitting behind it. Flapping a paw as he talked to the gray and blue spot sitting on the desk in front of him.

That spot turned out to be the rabbit I was looking for, clinging to a donut that was about as big as she was. From the way the cat was staring at it, she was smart to.

"Wow, you really are a cop," I smirked, stuffing my paws in my pockets. They turned to me, her eyes narrowing as she took a big bite and hopped down, letting the donut plop to the desk.

"I didn't think foxes came out during the day," she rubbed her paws together. "What are you doing here, Slick?"

I knelt in front of her.

"I was just wondering why you're having fun gossiping when my drummer's gone missing," I stood, crossing my arms. "And there's still that little problem of animals going savage."

She looked at me.

"Wait, Trevor's missing? When did that happen?"

"This morning," I shoved my paws in my pockets, keeping my face blank. "Just after I saw him in lock-up."

She stood there a few seconds before turning to the cheetah, who froze with the back end of a donut hanging from his mouth. He gulped it down so fast I was surprised he didn't choke on it.

"I-I was just about to give you the info," he stammered. "I swear!"

She rolled her eyes before turning back to me, her paws on her hips.

"Here's how this is gonna work, Slick," she started. "You're going to tell me what you know, then you're gonna turn tail and leave this to the cops. Got it?"

I couldn't help but laugh a bit, even if it did make me sick.

"I've known Trevor since we were kits," I said. "And this happened on my watch. I want in on this case, or I'm not saying shit."

She stared at me before smirking.

"Sorry, Slick, but last I checked, you were just a musician," she cocked her hip. "I'm afraid you'll have to sit this one out."

I cocked a brow, pulling open my vest to show the badge I kept there.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Carrots, but I'm not just a musician," I smirked back at her. "Surprise."

* * *

She stayed as far from me as she could when we climbed in Paul's car. It was hard not to laugh at the pissed off look on her face, the blank stares on Mercy's and Paul's whenever they turned back to us.

"How the hell did you keep that secret, Nick?" Paul talked first. I shrugged.

"I wasn't hiding anything," I took the badge out and shined it on my sleeve. "It's my dad's old PI shield."

"What?!"

Carrots whirled, glaring daggers at me. I tucked the badge back in my vest.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart," I smirked. "And you fell for it hook, line and sucker."

She growled, her claws digging into the seat.

"Stop the car!" she screwed around with her seatbelt. "I'm getting out!"

I grabbed her arm when she tried to bail at a red light.

"Not so fast, Fluff," I yanked her toward me. "I said you'd only get that info if I was part of this, and I know you couldn't do this alone."

I leaned closer, her nose twitching as I flashed my teeth.

"So unless you want to take this new turn blind, you'll let me help," my tongue lashed across her muzzle. "So, what's it gonna be?"

I let her go when she started fighting, my smirk falling as she glowered at me. It was silent until she growled again, pressing her paws to her eyes.

"Fine, you can be part of this investigation," she looked up when the car started moving again. "But _only_ this one. And if you even _think_ of tricking me again, I'll taze your ass until your fur falls off. Got it?"

I let my smirk come back as I held out my paw.

"Works for me, Fluff. Welcome to the team."

She groaned before taking my paw, baring her teeth as she slightly crushed it.

" _So_ glad to be here, _Slick_."


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry this one took so long, but hopefully the tidbits I reveal were worth the wait!_

* * *

 _"Stop it!"_

 _"I'll never forgive you for this!"_

 _"I can't take it anymore!"_

 _"Get away from him!"_

 _"Mommy!"_

I snapped from the dream, my heart feeling like it was about to beat a hole through my chest. I jerked away from the paw holding me down; Mercy was staring at me, looking scared out of her mind.

"You dozed off, Nick," she said. "And you just started going crazy. What's wrong with you?"

"N-Nothing," I turned away, catching my breath. It wasn't the first time she'd seen me like that, and I was sure it wouldn't be the last. "I'm just stressed about Trevor."

"We all are," she shifted. "And I may still be pissed at you, but I'm still here if you need to talk about anything. I hope you know that."

"I do," I looked out the window. It was getting dark, porch lights flashing on along the street. "Where are we?"

"Paul's and Trevor's parents' place. He and Judy went in to see if they could learn anything."

Paul started out in foster care, probably would've spent his whole life in the system if Trevor's family hadn't come along. A lot of mammals still gave them shit about it, but I wished there were more animals like them. The world would be a hell of a lot less broken that way.

"Nick?"

I shook my head.

"Sorry," I turned back to her, fighting to keep my mask in place. She didn't know the truth, none of them did, and it was going to stay that way. "How long have they been in there?"

She shrugged.

"A few hours, but I don't know how much they'll be able to get," she shifted in her seat. "Was your dad really a PI? Or is that badge completely fake?"

She shrank back when I glared at her.

"You really think I'd carry this around if it was fake?" I couldn't keep the anger out of my voice. I whipped it out, clutching it so tightly the edges bit into my palm. "My dad's line of work is what got him killed, this is a reminder to never make the same mistake."

I stared down at it. The brass was getting dull, the paint chipping in places, but I never let it out of my sight. It was pretty much the only thing I had left of my family…

"Nick?" she touched my shoulder again. "Are you sure you want to be part of this? I mean, it looks like it's bringing up a lot of-"

"I'm fine," I shrugged her paw off, my voice still harsh. I tucked the badge away, sighing. "And yeah, this is bringing up a lot of shit, but it's time I started dealing with it. I've been running from it too long, already."

"Yeah, but… _what_ are you running from? We've all known you for years," she added. "And we've all caught you like this before, but you always shove us away when we ask about it."

I shook my head, turning to the window.

"That's because it's got nothing to do with you," I looked at her reflection. "And I know you've all got your own shit to deal with."

I watched her shift against the seat, looking anywhere but me. She'd never been great at keeping secrets, part of the reason I'd never told her anything. We'd all started in broken homes, grown up being treated like trash, told predators had no place in the world. It was why I'd started the band, so none of us would have to deal with it alone, there'd always be someone waiting to catch us.

I looked up when a door shut, Carrots walking from the house and hopping into the passenger seat. Mercy leaned forward.

"How'd it go? Did you learn anything?"

The rabbit shook her head.

"They don't have any idea how this could've happened, Trevor's always been so easy-going…" she trailed off. "And Paul's staying here tonight, he said he doesn't want to be too far from them."

"I don't blame him," Mercy got out and went to the driver's seat. "I'd want to be close to my parents if something like this happened."

I scoffed.

"No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't give two shits."

She glared at me in the rear-view mirror. She sighed.

"You're right, I really wouldn't, but it's different for him and Trevor. Their folks actually care."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything. Cross-species adoption, even just fostering, is a pretty rare thing, and most of the time it's only done to get sympathy or votes or whatever the hell the mammals doing it are after. Paul's just one of those few who got lucky. I glanced at Carrots.

"So, where can we drop you, rabbit?"

"The Grand Pangolin Arms," she kept staring straight ahead. "Southeast side of Savannah Central."

"Got it," Mercy started up the car and pulled away from the street. "You want us to stop anywhere first, Judy?"

Her ears snapped up at the sound of her name. She stared at Mercy a second before shaking her head, her ears dropping back down.

"No, that's okay. It's been a long day, and I…"

I tuned out after that. There was still something about this bunny I couldn't place, and it was pissing me off. Why was she so dead-set on finding a predator? Why didn't she hate all of us like everyone else? What the hell was she after?

 _"Not everyone thinks like that, Nicky,"_ my mom's voice popped up. She was always telling me shit like that, like if she kept saying it I'd start believing it. _"Yes, a lot of mammals are still close-minded, but that's changing every day. It won't be much longer before this hatred's over."_

 _Sorry to disappoint you,_ I thought. _But that attitude ain't going away any time soon. If anything, it's just gotten worse._

This whole "going savage" thing started a couple months ago, when an otter attacked a moose in the Rainforest District. It had come out of nowhere, and he'd almost lost an ear because of it. They'd been random, sometimes two or three in a few days, then a week or two without any. They popped up all over the city, and there didn't seem to be any pattern to it. Were they being triggered by something? Was someone doing it on purpose?

I shook my head. Mammals couldn't be forced to go savage, that didn't make any sense. But then what was causing it? Why was it happening?

"Hey, Nick?"

"Huh?"

We were in front of my place, just outside the city. And from the way Mercy was staring at me, we'd been there a while. I pushed the questions back; there'd be plenty of time to think about them later.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I asked if I could stay here tonight," her ears fell back. "Or maybe…you know…a while…"

I tensed, my claws starting to dig into the seat.

"It's Brandon again, isn't it?"

She froze, then nodded. She'd hooked up with the guy after I'd ended it, and he was turning out to be a complete asshole. The only thing he hadn't done so far was beat her, but I was sure that wasn't far off. And if I found out he ever did lay a paw on her, well, let's just say there'd be one less arctic fox in the world. I leaned forward, taking her wrist.

"Stay as long as want, I'll make sure he can't get to you."

It was hard to miss the tears in her eyes, even with how fast she swiped them away. She tried to smile.

"T-Thanks, Nick."

I tightened my grip before letting go.

"Any time."


	6. Chapter 6

_This rambled on way longer than I thought it would..._

* * *

I don't sleep much, never have. My head was spinning so much I doubted I could right now, anyway. So instead I looked up every article I could think of about the animals going savage, hoping to find some kind of connection. But all I found was speculation, rumors and a lot of prey saying they weren't surprised. I did learn one thing, though, that Trevor wasn't the first one to go missing. Every one of them had, just a little while after they attacked someone. That put some weight behind the idea that this was being done on purpose, but I still couldn't figure out who'd be behind it, or how they were making it happen.

My ears flicked when my phone went off, still jammed in my pocket. I grabbed my pants from the floor; Paul had texted me.

 _'Sry I couldn't b more help. U guys find anything yet?'_

 _'Not really,'_ my claws clicked on the screen. I sighed. _'Merc's hiding from Brandon'_

 _'Again?'_

 _'Yeah'_

 _'Think Judy would lend me hr dart gun if I askd?'_

I chuckled. That was the least of what I would've done.

 _'Fat chance'_

I sat back, staring at the ceiling. I'd rebuilt this place from the ground up, thinking staying here would make me come to terms with what'd happened. I didn't know if it had yet or not, I buried the pain so deep I couldn't feel it half the time. There also weren't many places outside the slums that let foxes come within a hundred feet, and I'd already had more than my fill of _that_ part of town.

My phone went off again; Paul had sent me a screenshot of an article. A grainy, washed-out picture from a security cam, showing a lumpy shape lying in the branches somewhere in the Rainforest District. I could barely see the tip of some kind of weapon. I looked at the headline blaring in red above it.

 _'First Sighting of Possible Suspect?'_

 _'Not much to go on,'_ I typed. _'Can barely see the guy'_

 _'I knw, but a lest its somthing, right?'_

I rolled my eyes.

 _'We're gonna need a lot more than that if we wanna crack this,'_ I rubbed my eyes, shoving my hair back from my face. ' _How are your folks taking this?'_

 _'Not good, mom can't stp crying'_

I flashed back to my mom, how many times she'd cried. I growled, shaking my head so hard my neck popped.

 _Stop thinking about it, damn it!_

 _'We're gonna find him, Paul, we'll find all of them'_

It took him a while to answer.

 _'I knw'_

 _'But can we relly do this?'_

I thought about it. Luck wasn't exactly on our side, but that had never stopped us before. And something told me Carrots wasn't about to give up, either.

 _'The cops are never really gonna care about this one, so who else is there?'_

 _'Guss ur right'_

 _'Gotta go, moms crying again'_

I put my phone on the nightstand, laying down with my paws under my head. How _were_ we going to solve this? Even if we did somehow find Trevor and the others, would there be any chance of getting them back? Would they be stuck like that? I shivered, remembering him pacing around that cell they'd locked him in, growling and staring at anything that moved. I thought I'd seen… _something_ in his face when I'd tried talking to him. But even if it had actually been there, it was gone when he'd charged at me. Barely held back by the thick wall of what I'd hoped was shatter-proof glass between us. Most of the stuff on his side had already been broken: clawed, chewed and ripped to shreds. It had only gotten worse when they'd shoved some raw meat in; he'd torn into it like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Lapping up the blood that had splattered his face and around the plate before smashing it to pieces.

I jumped, shivering again. That was the last thing I'd seen him do, trying not to puke my guts out as I'd sprinted to the closest trash can. It had only been a couple hours after that I'd overheard some nurses talking about him, wondering where he could've gone. I must've asked every doctor and nurse in the place after that; if they hadn't ignored me completely, they'd acted completely clueless.

Had they really not known? That was kind of a stretch. Had they been protecting someone? That made a bit more sense, even if the case as a whole still didn't make any. I grit my teeth, pressing my paws to my eyes. This wasn't getting me anywhere. I turned, grabbing the pill bottle I kept on the nightstand. I dumped out two and swallowed them dry, staring at nothing as I waited for them to take over. But I still doubted I'd get any sleep tonight...

* * *

I didn't wake up until I hit the floor. Mercy was sitting on my bed, not bothering to hide how hard she was laughing at me.

"I've been trying to wake you for an hour," she said. "I didn't know what else to do!"

I groaned, rubbing my head as I got to my feet. I grabbed the pillow that'd dropped with me and threw it at her.

"Don't you know the saying 'let a sleeping fox lie'?"

"Of course," she finally stopped laughing. "I also know 'make a stinking fox bathe'."

I rolled my eyes.

"You've been hanging around Paul too much…"

She crossed her arms.

"And where do you think he learned it?"

"Trevor, who else?"

I dug through my dresser, grabbing what I needed as fast as I could. Mercy was pretty much the only one who could get away with laughing at me like that, but that didn't mean I liked hearing it. She was tapping at my phone when I looked back at her, still smirking.

"Just told Judy you're finally up," she tossed it on the bed. "And just gave her your number."

"What was the point of that?" I snatched it as I walked past. She yanked my tail.

"She's already got Paul's number, and I 'accidentally' dropped my phone in a toilet at the hospital," her smile dropped. "I don't want Brandon finding out where I am."

"And he won't," I took her paw. "No one knows this place is still around, and I've got a security set-up a flea couldn't get past."

I tightened my grip, smiling up at her.

"You don't have to worry, you're safe here."

She started crying when I pulled back, covering her face and running out of the room. The whole time, I felt guilt biting at me, just like it always did when she got like that. It never would've happened if…

I jumped when my phone went off. Carrots had texted back, a group message with me and Paul.

 _'Already on my way, I'll see you guys soon!'_

I shook my head, shoving my annoyance aside. She couldn't solve this without us, and we'd never get anywhere without her. I'd just have to deal with whatever the hell she did to me until then, and after that I could go back to acting like she didn't exist. I tossed my phone on the bed and went to the bathroom, turning the shower on full. I pressed my paws to the counter, letting my head hang.

 _Just find Trevor and fix him,_ I told myself. _Then you'll never have to see that stupid rabbit again._

I looked up, hating the confused, exhausted fox that stared back at me.

 _But are you sure that's how you'll want things to go?_

I growled, my claws dragging across the counter as my fists tightened. This was going to be a long day…

* * *

 _Would it surprise any of you if I said I've already started working out a sequel for this? All I'm gonna say now is that it involves craziness and flowers. A lot of flowers. ;)_


	7. Chapter 7

It was hard to tell who had the better laugh. Mercy's was loud, smooth and high. Carrots' was quieter, obviously, and there were little snorts and gasps scattered around. And there was just something about it that made me never want to stop hearing it…

 _Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?_ Where the hell had _that_ come from? I groaned, pushing harder on the towel I was using to dry my ears, hoping to block it out. I'd already spent most of my shower thinking about that damn rabbit, and I couldn't afford to keep getting distracted. Not with Trevor and the other animals still in trouble.

 _Get your head out of your ass, Wilde,_ I swiped at my ears again and dropped the towel around my neck. _You've already got enough to worry about…_

I pushed my way into the kitchen, letting the door swing shut behind me. Mercy was leaning against the counter, swirling a coffee mug as she looked over Carrots' shoulder. The bunny was sitting on a placemat, tapping away at a laptop.

"Was wondering when you'd show up, Slick," she didn't look up. I rolled my eyes, hitting the fridge and grabbing a bowl of blueberries.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Fluff," I climbed on the barstool across from her, popping a few in my mouth. "Find anything yet?"

She tapped away another minute before shaking her head, closing the laptop and shoving it aside.

"Nothing too solid," she rubbed her eyes. "The only thing these animals seem to have in common is the fact they're all predators."

I swallowed a few more berries.

"And they went missing after going nuts," I wiped my mouth. "Paul and I found that out last night."

I grabbed my phone from my pocket, finding Paul's text with the article.

"He also sent me this," I passed it to her. "What do you think?"

She stared at the picture a while before shaking her head.

"That's close to nothing," she muttered. "You can't even see the guy…"

"I know," I took it back, looking through the other messages. "I told him the same thing last night."

"And who knows if he's even actually related…" she trailed off again, looking up. "This case has already stretched on for months, and every time it's on the news brings animals closer to a panic. I don't know how much more the city can take."

"But how's the press even getting wind of this?" I stuck my phone back in my pocket. "I thought your guys were keeping a tight lid on it?"

"We are, but we can only do so much," she shrugged. "Sooner or later, something's bound to get out."

I sat back, popping more berries in my mouth.

"I know the truth of that," I swallowed. "So, what's the plan?"

She groaned, pressing her face into her paws.

"I don't know. There hasn't been anything yet that would actually help find who's responsible, let alone how they've been doing it."

She pushed herself up.

"Only a few of the victims were hospitalized before they disappeared, and we're still running tests on those samples to figure out just _what's_ doing this to them," she slumped forward again. "There's no telling when an actual antidote will come out, that is, if this process even _can_ be reversed…"

"Okay, I think we get it," I held up a paw. "And I didn't ask about any of that future crap. Let the lab coats figure all that out, we need to focus on actually _finding_ these guys."

She groaned again.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I'm just really out of my element here," she swallowed. "I asked to be assigned to my hometown, Bunnyborrow, and we don't get much beyond thefts and the occasional assault. I've never dealt with a case this big before."

"Why are you investigating this, then?" Mercy asked. I'd pretty much forgotten she was still standing over the bunny's shoulder. "No one outside the city's disappeared."

"Yet," Carrots added. "Chief Bogo and the mayor think it won't be too much longer before this spreads beyond Zootopia, so its all paws and hooves on deck until this case is solved."

"Speaking of which," I pulled my phone back out. "I think it's time we stopped yakking and got going. Sitting here all day isn't gonna anything."

"Right," she closed her laptop and hopped off the counter. "I texted Paul on my way here, he's waiting for us at his parents' place."

"Got it," I flicked the towel off my neck, tossing it over the stool as I slid down. I was still staring at my phone, scrolling through my contacts. There were a lot of preds I knew who worked under the table, and I had a feeling we wouldn't be able to solve this without them. Something about the whole case just seemed…off, like we still weren't getting the whole story. I shook my head, just one more thing to worry about later. "You coming, Mercy?"

She was still by the counter, staring into her cup. She blinked, her head snapping up when she felt me staring at her.

"Oh, uh, I'll just…stay here today," she stuttered quickly. I looked at her. She flashed a shaky smile. "I'll…do some research while you guys do…whatever it is you're going to."

My eyes narrowed. Like most mammals, she was an open book to me.

"You're worried we'll run into Brandon," I said flatly. She froze, tried to stammer out some excuse. I shook my head. "I've already got someone following him, to try and catch him in anything that'll get his ass arrested."

I walked closer to her. She backed away.

"Mercy, he won't be able to find you," I went on. "And if by some miracle of hell he does, he won't get the chance to hurt you. I can promise you that."

I knew she wanted to believe me, but fear overrode it. She choked back a sob, swiping at her eyes.

"H-He's not as stupid as he a-acts, Nick," she managed. "A-And if he wants to get somewhere, n-nothing will stop him!"

I looked over my shoulder. Carrots was holding the door open, watching us.

"Is everything okay? You guys have been talking for while, and…"

"I-It's fine, Judy," Mercy sniffed. "I-I'm just being stupid. You guys should get going, all those animals need you."

Carrots glanced between us.

"You sure? I-I can call my partner if I need to, he can chase down these leads if we have to deal with-"

We both jumped when Mercy slammed her paws on the counter; her growl was almost enough to send me running for the hills.

"I said I've got it!" she screamed. Her head whipped up, tears spilling through her fur even as she glared murder at us. She growled again. "Now get out before I eat you!"

I did run that time, on all fours with my tail between my legs. I fell against the door next to Carrots, who looked like she was close to a heart attack. She gulped.

"N-Note to self, never… _ever_ make Mercy mad…"

I nodded. It wasn't the first time I'd seen her like that, but it was the first time I'd been the target.

"N-Noted…"


	8. Chapter 8

I detoured past my security team on the way out, giving them the pic of Brandon I'd swiped from Mercy's room. I made it clear he couldn't be trusted, not to hold back if he ever managed to get near the place. The mix of polar and grizzly bears had worked for my family for years, but I could still hardly keep them straight. They didn't seem to care though, as long as I paid them. Carrots waited by the front door, still looking worried.

"Relax," I swept past her. "They're the best in the business, that asshole won't get near her."

"I believe that," she turned away for a second, her ears falling before flicking back up. "I just hope we'll be able to find Trevor and the others. We don't even know where to start looking for them!"

I smirked down at her.

"That won't be a problem, Carrots," I took Paul's keys from my pocket. "I know the city and everyone in it like the back of my paw. It won't take long to find a lead."

I jumped on the railing for the porch stairs, stopping when I got to the end. I pushed off without thinking, flipping before landing on my feet. I looked over my shoulder to see her staring at me, her mouth hanging open. I chuckled.

"I'd be happy to give you the full show, Carrots, but we've got work to do!"

She stayed like that a second before snapping out of it, shaking her head and taking the steps two at a time.

"I've just never seen a fox do that before," she stopped next to me. "It looks like it's pretty much second nature to you, though."

I shrugged.

"I guess, couldn't tell you when I started doing it, though," I unlocked Paul's car and climbed behind the wheel. I waited while she hopped in the passenger seat. I couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to her, how part of me already felt like I'd always known her. I sighed, knocking my head against the wheel. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Uh, Nick?"

I tilted my head just enough to look at her. She was twisting her seatbelt, looking about as uneasy as I felt.

"Yeah, Carrots?"

She messed with the seatbelt a bit more before letting it go, shoving out a sigh.

"It can wait until after the case, we shouldn't waste any more time."

I nodded, starting the car and pulling away from the house. I still couldn't shake what was biting at me, or even begin to sort it out. I pushed it to the back of my mind like everything else, forcing myself to focus. I thought back to what I'd managed to learn about some of the victims, mapping out where we'd be most likely to get what we needed, and who we'd have to ask to get it. I glanced at the bunny next to me, silently hoping she'd be able to handle it.

 _If not, then this city's not the only thing about to get mauled…_

* * *

Paul glanced at me in the rearview mirror. He'd pretty much thrown me back there when he'd spotted us, telling Carrots never to let me anywhere near a steering wheel. She'd just looked at him before laughing.

"He didn't do that badly on the way here," she looked around the side of the seat to smirk at me. "He just drove like my grandpa, that's all!"

Paul scoffed.

"That just means he was too busy thinking about something else. You should see him when he's actually paying _attention_ to the road."

I groaned, slapping a paw over my eyes.

"I do that one time and you never let me hear the end of it," I dug my claws in, then let my paw drop. "Did you even _see_ how bad the rest of the line was?"

He rolled his eyes, turning back to the road.

"So, where to first, Hopps?"

She pulled out that notepad of hers and flipped through it.

"Uh, some place called The White Spring House, several of the victims were seen leaving there shortly before they went savage."

My ears perked up at the name.

"I know that place," I leaned forward. "It's one of the biggest drug dens in the city."

Paul stiffened, almost sending me into the windshield when he slammed on the break, a certain rabbit laughing the whole time.

"They invented seat belts for a reason, Nick!"

"Shut it, Carrots!" I glared at Paul. "And what the hell was that for?!"

"You swore you'd never go near that shit," he snapped at me. "Not after everything Tony put you through!"

I growled, Carrots' laugh cutting off as she drew back.

"It's not about Tony," I spoke as calm as I could. I glanced at the rabbit; she was staring at us with wide eyes and a slack mouth, but there wasn't a sniff of fear coming off her. "I was looking into this long before I ran into miss bunny cop here. I knew those preds weren't going nuts on their own."

I pushed myself back and sat up.

"I didn't say anything because I knew you three would try to stop me, and I'm not gonna just sit on the sidelines and watch things get worse," I looked away from them. "Not this time…"

I felt their stares on me, heard the questions they wanted to ask, but I didn't have time for it. None of us did.

"Will you quit gawking at me and get moving already?" my teeth flashed in a snarl. "Every second we waste here is another chance for this to happen again!"

Paul stared at me a second before snapping out of it, turning back to the road and hitting the gas. When he talked again, he was even more nervous than usual.

"Uh, i-it's in Tundra Town, right?"

"Yep," I leaned back, paws behind my head. He kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, fear darting through his eyes. I hated it when I did that to him, to anyone, but there were times I just couldn't hold it back. Once this was all over, I'd make it up to him, right now there was too much at stake.

 _I'm sorry I dragged you all into this,_ I sighed. _But I'll get you out, I promise._

* * *

 _It probably won't be too much longer before the rating gets upped. This investigation of theirs is going to be far from smooth sailing!_


	9. Chapter 9

I never liked the cold, but I always seemed to end up in Tundra Town. A lot of that probably had to do with the fact it was one of the most pred-heavy areas in the city, one of few where we could almost actually be ourselves.

Carrots was standing up in her seat, her nose pressed to the window as the car crawled through the street. Paul slumped over the wheel, trying to see through the snow. I leaned forward.

"What's wrong, Carrots? Never seen a white landscape before?"

"Not like this," she sat down. "And this is right next to Sahara Square! How is that possible?"

I laughed.

"A little thing called 'climate control', sweetheart," I smirked. "Those walls around the districts ain't just decoration."

"In Bunnyburrow, the weather stays pretty much the same. If we get snow more than three days a year, it's a lot."

"Sounds like my kinda place," I stared through the snow. They needed a big blizzard once or twice a month to keep the snow on the ground, and it just had to be today. "Let's just try to be as quick as we can here, okay? I don't feel like turning into a popsicle."

"Wouldn't that be a _fox_ -cicle?"

I groaned.

"Leave the jokes to me, alright, Carrots?"

She laughed.

"Sure thing, Slick."

The White Spring House looked just like I remembered: long and low, thick bricks of ice swallowed by a thick layer of snow. The sign still flashed bright blue above the entrance, a thick stink blowing out when we slipped through the door.

It was still the same inside, too, the air full of smoke, musk and sweat. A rug was hung up on every wall, keeping the cold out and the heat in. Couches and beds lined the walls, most of them filled with animals in the fur, clothes mixed in with the pillows, blankets and everything else crowding the floor.

I glanced at Carrots, smirking when her ears flopped over her eyes, her paws flying up to her face to keep them there. Paul wasn't doing much better, his eyes darting everywhere before finally falling to his feet. I chuckled, stuffing my paws in my pockets.

"You two can wait in the car if this is too much for you," I barely kept myself from laughing. "I'll just meet you out there when I'm done."

Carrots' ears snapped back up, about as red as they could get.

"No way," she forced the words out. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until this case is solved."

"That reminds me," I turned to her. "Earlier, you said I could only help you find Trevor, but now you're letting us tag along to follow a lead that has nothing to do with him. What changed your mind?"

She chewed her lip for a while, her eyes anywhere but me.

"Because…" she trailed off, then huffed. "Because I have no idea where anything is in this city, and I'm sure most of the mammals we end up talking to will want nothing to do with prey like me, whether I'm a cop or not."

She glanced up at me, then looked away again. She grabbed her arm, her head dropping to her shoulder.

"And I kind of…that is, I…"

"You've got some nerve coming back here, Nick."

She jumped, drawing back as I turned around. The snow leopard narrowed her eyes as she watched us, her tail starting to twitch when she stared at the bunny. I barely realized I'd pushed Carrots behind me until I felt one of her paws grab my shirt, the other slipping along my tail. I ignored the jolt it sent through me, meeting the leopard's glare with one of my own.

"Relax, Jade, she's with us," I started. "We're just here to ask a few questions."

Our stare-off lasted a few seconds before she rolled her eyes, turning away and waving a paw for us to follow her.

"I'd love to just throw the three of you out on your tails, after letting my bouncers have their way with you, fox," she glanced back to glower at me. "But I already know you're not gonna leave until you get what you want, so I might as well do that before kicking you out."

She led us further into the building, the almost-muted flute music and mixed scents of a hundred drugged-up mammals fading behind us. Carrots kept her paws on me the whole way to Jade's office, the other clamping down on my shirt when I flicked it off my tail. I wouldn't be able to think straight if she kept touching me like that. Jade let us file in before coming in, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against it, crossing her arms.

"I'm guessing this has to do with all those 'savage' animals that've popped up lately," she said flatly. At least one of us must've looked shocked, because she actually chuckled. "I was actually wondering when the cops would come sniffing around here, but I can tell you I don't have anything to do with what's happening."

"But about half of the mammals who've gone savage were seen leaving this place shortly before," Carrots let go of me, pulling out her little notepad and pen. "You're sure you don't have any idea why that might be?"

Jade looked down her nose at the rabbit before scoffing.

"I'm sure I don't, bunny," she started. "Every one of those animals may have been doped up when they left, but they were still civil. Well, as they could be."

I chuckled.

"You didn't happen to catch where any of them might have been going after?" I asked. "That'd be a big help in getting us off your ass."

She looked up at the ceiling, at least pretending to think about it.

"Now that you mention it, there _was_ something weird about some of them," she swept past us and hit her desk, shuffling things around and digging through a few drawers. "A couple of them, tigers, I think, came in a few weeks ago. They did what you'd expect in this place, but when they left…"

She stopped to dig through another drawer, then pulled something out.

"One of them dropped this," she brought it over to us, tossing it to me. "Not sure why I kept it, but I haven't been able to make anything of it."

She'd zipped it in a plastic bag; I shifted the weight in my paw before looking down at it, my eyes widening as my mouth dropped open. Out of all the things I'd expected her to show us, this hadn't even crossed my mind. I gulped, shoving it in my pocket before Carrots or Paul could get a look at it.

"T-Thanks, Jade," I stuttered out. "This was a big help. J-Just call me if you have anything else, okay?"

I slammed the door open and sped out before anyone could say anything, not stopping until I was pressed flat against the side of the building. I barely noticed the snow now, pulling the bag from my pocket and staring blankly at what was in it.

Their faces stared back at me, their smiles frozen.

I watched the blood splash across them again, heard the screams as they filled the house. I didn't bother wiping the tears, feeling them freeze in my fur. One thought circling through my head like a cyclone.

 _How the hell did they get this?_


	10. Chapter 10

_"Mom?"_

 _I dropped my backpack on the kitchen table, heading to the fridge for a Pupsi. I was used to the house being quiet when I got home, but this time something was just…off. I popped the tab and I headed upstairs, freezing just before I took a sip. I hadn't just smelled that, I-I couldn't have…_

 _I dropped the can and followed the smell, choking when I reached where it came from._

 _"Mom?" I peeked in the room. I couldn't move. "Mom…"_

 _Someone grabbed me from behind. I fought, gave it everything I had, but they wouldn't let go._

 _"_ Mom, no _!"_

I couldn't stop crying. That was just one of a thousand memories that clawed at me every night, forced me to relive it all over and over again. I heard someone calling me, still felt their claws digging in to me. I didn't fight anymore, I didn't have any left in me…

"Oh, Nick…"

I gasped. That wasn't the voice I always heard, not even close. I blinked, looked up to see Carrots staring at me. Paul's claws dug into me from behind; he was just as scared as she was. I swallowed.

"I-I did it again…didn't I?"

"Yeah," Paul let go. He climbed out of the car and went to the driver's seat. "You were pretty much half-frozen when we found you. You were just sitting in a snow drift staring off into space."

"You were also holding on to this," Carrots pulled the bag from her pocket. I turned away. I couldn't look at it anymore. "Nick, who are these mammals?"

I froze, a growl slipping out as my claws sank into the seat.

"It's my…" I clinched my eyes shut. It had been years since I'd last said this. "My…family."

"Oh…" her ears dropped. I waited for her to start asking questions, but she didn't, just tucked it back in her pocket. She brought out her notebook. "L-Let's just chase down the next lead…"

* * *

That lead ended up bringing us to the Canal District. Carrots had sent Paul out to find me while she talked to Jade; according to her the tigers had bragged about some big job they were part of, but all she'd been able to remember had been something about a warehouse on the north side of the district.

"The only problem is half that area is warehouses," Paul glanced at her. "How the heck are we supposed to find the right one?"

She flipped through her notes.

"It's the one closest to the entrance of the Backwater Docks, it's also the only red one in the area. I wonder what-"

"Wait," I snapped forward. "A red warehouse by Backwater Dock? Did I hear that right?"

"Uh," she glanced at the page again. "Yeah, why?"

"That's where that old underground pred park used to be."

"Hey, yeah," Paul pulled into the lot near the docks. This time of day, it was pretty much empty. "Trevor and I used to sneak out and go all the time."

"I remember you guys talking about it," I climbed out, looking around. This close to the water, it was still pretty cool, but a hell of a lot warmer than Tundra Town. "You guys ever find out why it shut down?"

"No," Paul stopped behind me. "One day it was there, and the next it just…wasn't."

Carrots' foot started tapping like crazy. She stomped down to make it stop.

"So, what exactly are we going to be walking in to?"

She started past me. I held out an arm to stop her.

"Hold up, I've got a weird feeling," I looked back at them. "Let me take a look around first."

I darted off before they could stop me. The scent had hit me out of nowhere, and now it wouldn't leave me alone. Something told me I'd smelled it before, but I couldn't place where. I followed it to the other end of the docks, slipping on the loose gravel that led down to the water. That was where the scent stopped, and from the looks of it, whoever it belonged to hadn't been gone long.

Water was still pooled in the ruts left by some kind of trailer, and the prints left by hooves and paws. I pulled out my phone and snapped a few pictures, knowing they wouldn't last long.

 _'Looks like we just missed someone'_ I sent them to Carrots. _'What do you think'_

It took her a second to get back to me.

 _'They could be related, but there's really no way to tell. You find that scent you were after?'_

 _'Thats how I found these'_ I started the walk back. _'I dont know why but that smell just makes me nervous'_

I froze when I felt someone watching me, shivering as I glanced around. This dock hadn't been busy in years, that was why they'd built that park here, but I don't remember it ever being this empty. I sped up, sighing in relief when I saw Paul and Carrots where I'd left them. From the look on his face, I knew he was feeling the same thing I was.

"I just told dispatch about the tracks you found," she clipped her radio to her belt. "But they said it wasn't enough to investigate."

"Doesn't matter," I turned to the warehouse. It was still the only red one in the place, still one of the biggest. "Let's just get this search started, this place is freaking me out."

"Same here," Paul stepped closer to us. He scratched the back of his neck. "I can't explain it."

"Me either, but earlier it felt almost like someone was staring at me."

Carrots shuddered.

"Now that you mention it," she rubbed her arm, looking around. "It feels like someone's breathing down my neck…"

I cleared my throat.

"So, I guess we're all in agreement, then? Let's find whatever we can and get the hell outta here."

We started for the warehouse, but then something else made me stop. I grabbed Carrots' arm, pulling her back.

"Actually, I think you'd be better off somewhere else, Carrots," I glanced at her, then her badge. "This area's not exactly prey—or cop—friendly."

She huffed, snatching her arm away.

"We haven't seen anyone else since we got here, Nick," she argued. "And I'm trained to deal with criminals, I think I'll be fine."

I ran a paw over my face. She was even more stubborn than I was.

"Fine, but you're staying close," I took her wrist. "I don't need anyone coming after me because you got hurt, it's not worth the headache."

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, at least you care."

I smirked.

"Something like that."


	11. Chapter 11

It definitely smelled like the place had been left to rot. Rust, mold, sawdust, pretty much everything you'd expect in an old warehouse. It was pretty much empty, too, what crates were left smashed open and whatever had been in them swiped. The scent that had set me and Paul on edge was still there, but it was stale; whoever had left it hadn't come around in a long time.

"So, where's this 'underground pred park' you guys were talking about?"

Carrots was sticking close to the walls, like straying into the open was the fastest way to get her killed. I looked over my shoulder, smirking at her.

"Underground, obviously," I turned to Paul. "How _did_ you guys get to the place, anyway?"

He messed around with a few things before pulling some kind of sheet off a desk, coughing in the dust cloud it threw up.

"There was a…a hatch in the floor…somewhere around here," he hacked a few more times and rubbed his eyes before pushing aside the desk he'd uncovered. He smiled, pointing down at a door a polar bear could fit through. "And I think I just found it."

Carrots' paw found my shirt again as we hit the staircase, the streak from the flashlight on her belt jumping ahead of us. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been in complete darkness like this, even my night vision was pretty much useless. The constant drag of Paul's claws on the wall followed us, just about driving me nuts when we finally hit the bottom. The floor didn't creak and groan like the staircase had, thankfully, but it was so quiet the smallest sounds seemed to echo.

"So…are we just supposed to start…searching for something?" Paul swallowed. He never had been a fan of the dark. I pulled out my phone, checking the battery before hitting the flashlight. I'd probably only have it for an hour or so at the most.

"What are even supposed to be looking for?" I turned to Carrots. She shrugged.

"Just anything that seems out of place," she adjusted her belt. "If this place really is as empty as it seems to be, then that shouldn't be too difficult."

I rolled my eyes, turning away.

"So we're basically looking for a needle in a haystack, got it," I flashed my phone around. "We should probably split up, we'd cover a lot more ground that way."

"But you two aren't trained like I am," she took a few steps. "And I doubt you're armed, either."

I chuckled, patting my pocket.

"Trust me, Carrots, I'm never unarmed," I glanced at Paul. "He's hopeless, though."

He stiffened.

"Am not!"

I laughed.

"So you're saying you don't remember that time with the lemmings, or those cubs at your sister's birthday party?" I laughed again. "Or how about-?"

"Okay, I get it!" Paul looked like a tomato had hit him in the face. His eyes narrowed when he glared at me. "And the only reason I stink is because you suck at teaching!"

He stormed away before I could say anything, leaving me and Carrots laughing our heads off. She covered her mouth as she calmed down, her eyes shining when she looked at me.

"You shouldn't antagonize him like that," she managed. I shrugged.

"Why not? He makes it too easy," I picked myself up off the floor. "And he really does suck at fighting. He just can't keep his head in the game."

She rolled her eyes, her ears twitching at Paul's fading steps. She took out her phone.

"I'll tell him to text us if he finds anything, and I expect you to do the same," she looked up at me, any happiness completely gone. "And be careful, okay? Both of you."

My tail flicked at her tone. What the hell was she doing to me?

"O-Only if you do the same, Carrots," I threw up a smirk. "We won't exactly get far without you."

She shook her head.

"I'm always careful, it's your hot-headedness I'm worried about."

I scoffed.

"Trust me, you haven't met a hot-head if you think I'm one," I turned away, hating the tightness the words put in my chest. This was the last place to think about that. "W-We better start looking, don't want Paul to be the first one to find something, do we?"

She chuckled again, shaking her head.

"Whatever, Slick."

* * *

I swept my phone in a slow arc, brushing away the dust that covered an old cabinet. The little side room I'd wandered into looked like it had been some kind of office, barely big enough for the folding table and chairs, let alone the line of filing cabinets along the wall. Paul had been right when he'd said the park had been here one day and gone the next. Except for some rusted parts and faded posters lying around, there was no sign anything like that had been here.

The park had been called 'Cut Loose', and from what I'd heard it had been some kind of paradise for preds. Paul and Trevor had always tried dragging me along with them, but I'd always turned them down. Just deciding not to tell my parents had almost been too much of a secret for me to handle, and the last thing I'd wanted was feeling any more guilt about lying to them.

Only about half the drawers were locked, the rest either empty or filled with things that didn't really matter. Pictures of preds enjoying the place, letters some of them had written, that kind of thing. It didn't take me long to get the rest open, though, since I'd found the key in a pouch stapled under the table. Not that it would've taken me long to pick the locks, either. I'm kind of an expert at that.

The stuff I did find wasn't much more interesting, just financials and other records about keeping the park going. A lot of the funding had come from the few wealthy preds that lived in the city, since most of the banks at the time wouldn't have had anything to do with us. Especially if we were unlucky enough to be born foxes.

A low growl slipped out before I could stop it. I shook my head, shoving the thoughts back to deal with later. I'd follow this case through, and then I'd be able to waste all the time I needed to sort through this crap. If only it would cooperate and let me focus.

I closed the drawer I'd been looking in, most of the stuff was so beat up I couldn't read it, anyway, then turned to the last one. A weird feeling had crept up on me the second I'd walked in here, and now it looked like I'd finally found the source. I didn't think I was able to move as slowly as I did then, slipping toward it like I expected it to blow up at any second. My heart started pounding the second I touched the handle; I snapped straight like someone had just poured ice down my shirt.

 _T-This scent…_

Unlike the rest of the building, this one was almost fresh, whoever left it had only been gone a day or two at the most. The drawer creaked as I pulled it open, the sound setting my teeth on edge. I leaned forward to peek inside…

And jumped back, a terrified gasp choking me.

 _O-Oh God no…_

I whipped my phone around, almost cracking the screen as my shaking paws clacked out the text.

 _'Carrots you better see this'_


	12. Chapter 12

By the time they found me, I was a sobbing wreck on the other side of the room, curled up with my tail in my face to block the cabinet. I'd tried looking again after I'd texted Carrots, but all it had done was make me scream and shove the damn thing to the floor. Everything had tumbled out: the pictures, the letters, the bits of cloth. All of it covered in dried, flaking blood.

I heard Paul warn her to stay away from me, that I was unpredictable when I got like this. I wanted to shut him up, tell her I'd never hurt her, but my throat was closed so tight I could barely breathe. I moved my tail just enough to see her kneel by the cabinet, her paws hovering over the mess I'd caused.

"W…What _is_ all this?"

She looked back at me, her ears flopping down. I knew what I must've looked like: a little kit who thought hiding would keep his nightmares from getting him. I froze when she stood, crawling back as she walked toward me, until my side hit the wall. I bared my teeth when she dropped to her knees, hissed when she leaned closer, reaching out for me. That was usually enough to make mammals run, but all she did was smile.

"I'm not afraid of you, Nick," she said softly. My ear flicked when her paw brushed against it. "There's no need to be. Come here."

I blinked, staring at her. My eyes burned, I just wanted to pass out, but I pushed myself up. I dragged myself closer to her, lying back down with my head in her lap. I don't know what made me do it, only that I still felt like I could trust her.

"There we go," she hugged my head, putting her chin next to my ears. I rubbed up against her, breathing in her scent. I'd never been this close to a bunny before, had never smelled anything but fear coming from them. But all I smelled now was flowers and sunlight, fresh air and cool water. I lifted my head, burying my nose in her neck, feeling her paws tug at my fur.

"Oh, Nick," she was whispering, sounding like she was crying. I forced my eyes open, saw her looking at me, Paul standing behind her with his mouth hanging open. I swallowed, taking one last breath of her scent before pulling back. I stared at the floor, my tail tucked around my feet.

"S-Sorry," I barely managed to mutter it. "I-I don't…it's just…"

I looked up when she sighed, shaking her head and getting back to her feet.

"It's fine," she took the radio from her belt. "You were having a panic attack, I needed some way to calm you down."

She walked over to the pile I'd left. I stayed where I was, fighting to keep it all in check. My heart was still pounding, my fur standing on end. I shuddered as I flashed back to what I'd found, throwing the thought out just as quickly. It didn't matter anymore, none of it did, and it'd be better for everyone if I just forgot about it. It was the only reason I'd gotten this far…

"This isn't just a coincidence."

I barely glanced at her before turning away again.

"What do you mean?" Paul stepped closer, looking down at the pile. He went white and turned his back to it, his eyes wide and panicked. "W-What the hell _is_ all that?!"

"And _why_ is it all here?" she knelt, shifting through some of it. "Those tigers had a locket with Nick's family portrait, and now that we're looking around what's supposedly their base, we just happen to come across an entire hoard with their faces everywhere?"

She tapped the radio against her chin.

"Something big is going on here, and I'm starting to feel like it's connected to all the animals going savage."

"Maybe, but how?" Paul kept his back to her. "What the heck's the connection?"

She thought a while, still messing with the radio.

"I don't know yet, but there's got to be something," she flashed a hard smile. "We just have to keep digging until we find it."

* * *

It was dark by the time we got back to my place, since we had to detour to drop Paul off. My security team told me they hadn't seen any sign of Brandon, and that Mercy had been curled up on the couch with my laptop all day. She was pacing around the kitchen when we got there, twisting a cup in her paws.

"Nick!" she stopped when she saw me. "What the hell have you been doing all day? I've been trying to call you for hours!"

"Sorry," I climbed on the counter, hooking my phone to the charger. "My phone died."

I stopped by the fridge to grab the bowl of blueberries I'd picked at this morning; I wasn't really hungry, but I hadn't eaten anything since then. Carrots hopped up next to the sink and sat on her placemat, her notebook and pen already out and waiting.

"What were you trying to tell him?"

Mercy grabbed my laptop from the couch and set it in front of us. She had about twenty tabs open, each one another mammal's Furbook page.

"I was looking at that list of names you left here, Judy," she slid a piece of paper across the counter. "And I decided to do a little searching of my own, since I can't really leave here at the moment."

She clicked around the page, bringing up a list of bands the animal liked.

"I snooped around Furbook, and I noticed something they all had in common, besides the fact they're preds," she pointed to group that had been added last. "And it turns out every single one of them recently said they liked _Savage Wilde._ "

She looked at me, then went back to the main page.

"I also found this exact comment on the last post each of them made before they went savage," she glanced at it. "I have no idea what it's supposed to mean, though."

Carrots and I leaned closer, my jaw clenching as I read.

 _'Base listed forest4 Gray safari listed forest tundra safari gray4 Base listed forest4 Tundra listed gray4 Zorro dawn zorro base4 Under indigo listed north4 North vase41 Gray safari rain mud past4 Zorro tundra zorro rain mud40 Rain4 Zorro north4 Yet zorro xenia past43 Zorro mud west4 Gray safari rain heat4 Gray rain north vase43 Base listed forest4 Dawn rain open open4 Mud vase ember vase indigo4 Tundra vase gray4 Gray safari vase4 Xenia safari zorro mud xenia vase4 Gray listed4 Vase heat xenia zorro kite vase40'_

I slammed my fist on the counter, barely hearing when something shattered.

"Damn it!"


	13. Chapter 13

It'd been years since I'd last seen that code, and I was just starting to hope I'd never see it again. I slumped on my bed, staring at my laptop like I'd been doing most of the night. I didn't stop the memories getting through this time, since they were some of the only happy ones I had. I still couldn't believe how quickly he'd changed, like someone had flipped some kind of switch on him…

"Nick, are you doing okay?"

I turned my head, my eyes narrowing when I saw a certain gray bunny.

"What're you still doing here?"

"Mercy asked me to stay," she walked to the bed. "Just in case you had another attack."

I groaned, sitting up with my back to her.

"That was a one-time thing," I crossed my arms. "Trust me, I won't let it happen again."

She sighed; I heard the springs creak as she climbed up.

"I also told her my apartment complex is being fumigated; she said she didn't want me wasting money on a hotel when there's so much room here."

I stiffened when she brushed my tail; I flicked it out of her reach.

"I'm not in the mood for polite conversation," I snapped. "So unless you have something to ask me, scram."

I smirked when she tried growling, it was just too damn cute.

"You've been acting like this ever since Mercy showed us that code," she jumped around me, grabbing my face when I tried to turn away. "Who else knows it? What does it mean to you?"

I glared at her, grabbing her wrists.

"First of all, keep your paws off me," I threw her arms down. "And second, that code's got nothing to do with you, so get lost!"

She growled again, chomping down on her lip to stop it.

"That code is on the profile of every mammal who's gone savage, every one who's gone _missing_ ," she clinched her eyes shut before facing me again. "And it's obvious that whoever's behind it is also targeting you, since they were all fans of _your_ band and there was a pile of things from _your_ family at their hideout!"

I wasn't sure what happened then, only that I felt something snap.

"That doesn't mean shit," I got in her face, sneering when she leaned back. "You're just looking for things that ain't there, and I'm sure I know why."

I flashed my teeth, chuckling when her nose started twitching.

"Because you're just a sad little hillbilly cop trying to make it in the big city, and I'm sure you screwed every cop in that place just to get a piece of this case," I leaned even closer. "You're just a small, fucking delusional bunny, and you better get used to it, because that's all you're ever gonna be!"

She gasped sharply, staring blankly at me. Then her face scrunched up, and I knew she was trying not to cry. But the tears slipped out anyway, her voice cracking as she swiped at them.

"S-So, _that's_ what you really think of me," her eyes narrowed, I didn't think it was possible for them to be so cold. She sniffed, walking past me. "So, I'll just go, then. You're off the case, Nicolas, and after the rest of us solve this, you'll never have to see my 'delusional little' face again."

She hopped down, her whole body stiff as she walked out, stopping just outside the door.

"And I was wrong about you, you're not just arrogant prick," she glared at me over her shoulder. "You're also a pathetic piece of shit."

She turned away and disappeared down the hall. Something screamed at me to follow her, but I wasn't about to let her see how much she got to me. So what if it felt like I'd just shot myself in the gut? If it meant that stupid rabbit was finally out of my life, it was worth it.

 _Just forget about her,_ I threw myself back, glaring at the ceiling. _She just needed you for the case, you never would've been important to her._

* * *

It felt like I'd slept on a bed of nails when I finally got up. Seeing that code again was still clawing at me, compounded by all the shit I'd piled on Carrots. Why did I say all that? What the hell was wrong with me? I shook it off when I got to the kitchen, freezing just outside the door. I could smell her, and the scent was still pretty fresh; what if she was still in there?

 _If she is, I'll just take what I have coming._

I slipped in, not sure how to feel when Mercy was the only one there. She had her back to me, and as I started moving around it became clear she was trying to keep it that way.

"Uh, hey…Mercy," I swallowed. It wasn't a bright idea to be near by when she pulled this, but I knew the question wouldn't stop buzzing around until I asked it. "Where's Carrots?"

She stiffened, but didn't give any other sign that she'd heard me.

"Paul picked her up this morning," she finally said. "She spent the night crying, then the first chance she got, she was out of here.

"She took all her stuff with her," she went on. "She's gonna be staying with Paul until her apartment's aired out. He's not too happy with you, either. None of us are."

I stared at her, then scoffed.

"Well, isn't that a big change in attitude?" I crossed my arms. "Just a few days ago, you were saying we couldn't trust her because she was a cop and prey. When did that all cha-?"

The last thing I expected was a backpaw to knock me flat on my ass. Mercy glared down at me, looking like she was about to tear me to bits.

"How could you _say_ all that to her, Nick?" she shouted. "She's been doing _everything_ she can to help us, and then you go and insult her like that. What the hell's wrong with you?!"

I groaned, grabbing my face where she'd whacked me.

"She's only doing this because it's her _job_ ," I snapped back. "If it weren't for that, she never would've come near us!"

She stared down at me, her mouth hanging open, then turned away as quickly as she'd snapped on me.

"I admit it, I _was_ thinking like that when this all started, but the past couple days have made me realize how wrong I was. There's no reason for preds and prey to be divided like this, we could all get along if we just tried!"

I wasn't sure where she was trying to go with this, but I figured letting her get it out would be better for me than shutting her up. She glanced at me over her shoulder, the look as icy as their color.

"Paul told me what happened at the warehouse, how she wasn't afraid of you, even though you've taken down lions in that state. And I've seen how you've started looking at her," she added. "And how she's looked at you since the first time I saw her do it."

She sighed, turning back to me.

"That's why you said all that, isn't it?" she asked. "You're starting to like her and its freaking you out, so you pushed her away before anything even had a chance to happen."

I didn't say anything, getting slowly back to my feet. I brushed myself off, staring at the fridge like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"You're so off the mark it hit someone else's target," I still didn't look at her. "There's nothing between me and that bunny, and even if there was," I shrugged. "It would've ended the second the case did, you know that."

"Naturally?" she walked closer to me. "Or because you would've done everything possible to piss her off and _make_ her leave?"

I bit back a bitter laugh. Of course that's what I would've done, because I'm a complete fucking idiot. I shook my head.

"You don't get it, Mercy," I let my head drop. "Nothing would've ever worked between us, anyway. Not only could she do way better, there's also the fact I'm exactly low on mammals who hate me."

I glanced up to see her reaction, looking back down just as quickly.

"And you know the media would use it against her," I added. "They'd paint us both as sick freaks of nature, you might as well use gas to put out a fire."

I could tell she was still trying to find an argument, it was written all over her face. I leaned against the counter, looking at my claws as she kept floundering.

"B-But…" she closed her eyes, shoving her paws through her hair. "But none of that should matter! All that's important is how you both feel!"

I rolled my eyes; she was not giving up easy.

"I know that's how you wish the world worked, but news flash, it isn't," I pushed myself from the counter, shoving my paws in my pockets. My voice was low, pathetic. "She doesn't deserve any of the shit I know they'd throw at her, and I don't want her risking everything she's worked for just to be with a dumb fox like me."

"Aha, so you admit you like her!" she was way too pleased with herself. I rolled my eyes.

"So what if I do? It wouldn't have gone anywhere," I turned away. "I wouldn't have let it, especially now."

I barely muttered the last part, but she still heard me.

"B-But why not?" she sounded like I hadn't just spent ten minutes explaining it. "I-If you like her, why don't you just-"

"I don't want her anywhere near this case!" I didn't realize I'd screamed it until it was already out. But it was too late to stop now. I glared up at her, snarling as I stabbed myself in the chest with a claw. "This is all because of something in _my_ past, Mercy, and if she, or _any_ of you get hurt because of that, I'll never forgive myself!"

I slumped back to my knees, panting. I couldn't believe how exhausting those few words had been. I felt lighter than I had in days, but I could still feel dread pulling at me. I pushed myself to my feet, running my paws over my face.

"I-I'm going for a run," I turned my back to her. "I gotta clear my head."

I'd barely made it out of the kitchen when a floorboard snapped under me, throwing me off balance. The last thing I saw was the corner of an end table coming right at me.

"Nick!"

 _'You thought got you got away from me? Think again. I am back, and this time, you will never get the chance to escape.'_

* * *

 _And just like a second F-bomb pushes a PG-13 to an R, so this gets pushed from T to an M._


	14. Chapter 14

"I keep saying you need to fix the floors, but you always sucked at listening."

I rolled my eyes, it was all I could do without my head pounding.

"They don't sell wood like that anymore," I reminded her once again. "I'd have to rip up almost every floor in that place."

We'd been going on like this for an hour already. I'd woken up to a muskrat shining a light in my eyes, muttering how she wasn't too happy to see me twice in a month.

"What can I say, doc?" I asked when she finally pulled back. I was gonna be seeing spots for days. "With beauties like you working here, I just can't stay away!"

She rolled her eyes, exactly the reaction I was going for. She picked up the tablet she'd left on the bed, flicking through screens.

"I see you're still able to joke, Mr. Wilde, so perhaps the concussion was even more mild than we thought. However," she stared up at me. "I would advise against strenuous movement for the next few days. Even the smallest head injury can cause serious problems if its jostled too much."

I traced the line of stitches on my head for the first time, bandaged in a shaved patch right at my temple. I remembered hitting the end table, Mercy barely reaching me before I blacked out. The doc saw me messing with it, shaking her head.

"The cut was fairly shallow, but because of all the vessels in the face you lost a good bit of blood," she glanced at Mercy. "Luckily, your friend was able to get you here fairly quickly, and we were able to stop it before it got too serious."

She tapped a few things into her tablet.

"I'd like to keep you a few more hours for observation, I'll be back after my rounds to check up on you," she looked back up at me. "And remember, no strenuous movement, I don't need to hear you ripped those stitches out or cracked your skull open with your antics. I am warning you, Mr. Wilde."

I held up my paws, flashing my most innocent smile.

"No need to be so hostile, doc, I promise I'll listen to you this time."

Mercy snickered behind me. The doctor rolled her eyes and stepped out, the curtain dropping behind her. Mercy laughed again.

"That old muskrat's got it out for you, I swear," she walked to the bed and sat down. "What did you do to make her hate you so much?"

I shrugged, leaning back on my paws.

"My bottomless charm probably just rubs her the wrong way, it can happen."

She groaned, then pulled out my phone and started tapping away at it.

"I feel so sorry for Ed and Rocco, they're the only ones responsible for keeping your ass out of trouble in public. I'm surprised they both haven't quit yet."

I chuckled.

"They wouldn't, I pay them too much."

"Ugh," she messed with the phone a few more seconds, then shoved it in her pocket. "Paul will be here in a few minutes, he says he has something for you."

She got up and went to the curtain.

"I'm gonna try and find the cafeteria, there's gotta be something there Ed and Rocco can eat. You want anything?"

I started to shake my head, stopping when my stomach decided to twist.

"Ugh, if I eat something now, I'll hack, just get me some water or something."

She smirked, throwing up the salute we'd used as kits.

"You got it, boss."

I rolled my eyes and laid back, getting as comfortable as I could in an ED bed. It was clear the cash went to the ones in the ICU. I tried not to think about it, but the only thoughts that would stick were the case and a certain bunny. Tony and I had come up with that code when we were kits, before everything between us had turned to shit. As much as I liked to denying it, I knew exactly when he'd changed, and what had caused it.

My paw drifted to my neck, feeling the old scars hidden under my fur. It was the same reason I'd grown my hair out, just another layer to help keep the past hidden. I'd been forced into therapy after it'd all gone down, but even then I'd barely scratched the surface of what'd happened. I'd thought I was the only one left who remembered, but this case was quickly telling me otherwise.

I sat up when the curtain slid open, my jaw dropping when I saw who stood there.

"C-Carrots…"

She scowled at me, clutching a water bottle about half her size.

"Yeah, yeah," she stomped over, throwing it on the bed. "Don't worry, fox, I'm not staying. Mercy just wanted me to drop this off."

She turned around and stormed out, only to be shoved back in.

"Hey! Paul, Mercy!"

"Sorry, Judy," Mercy poked her head in. "You made the mistake of telling me you had the day off, so now you're stuck here until you two talk."

She looked up at me, scowling.

"And I mean actually _talk._ You're going to tell her why you were such an asshole to her, Nick," she looked back at the bunny. "And _you're_ going to listen. I don't care if you forgive him or not, just hear what he has to say to the end."

I couldn't see Carrots' face, but I knew her mouth was hanging open, mine sure was.

"You can't do this!" she shouted. "You have no right to keep me here!"

"You're right, we don't," Mercy smiled again. "But we're going to, anyway. And don't bother trying to fake it, Paul and I will be out here listening the whole time.

"And don't try sneaking out, Judy," she went on. "I've asked Ed and Rocco to stop you, and they're the best in the business. Even you won't be able to get past them."

She slipped a paw in, waving before pulling out.

"Have a good talk!"

Carrots growled, probably trying to will the curtain to burst into flames. When she finally turned, she looked resigned, almost dejected.

"Well, looks like we're trapped here."

I rubbed a paw over my eyes, trying to push back the headache that was forming.

"Looks like it," I peeked through my fingers. "And just for the record, I didn't have anything to do with this."

"I doubted you did," she walked to the bed and hopped up, sitting across from me. "You've been out cold for the last hour, plenty of time for them to set this up."

"Yeah," I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to find anything to say. But for the first time in years, I was coming up empty. After a while, she cleared her throat, leaning forward with her paws together.

"M-Mercy told me about the fight you two had this morning," she glanced to the side. And I was probably just imagining it, but I could've sworn her ears got darker. "D-Did you really mean all that…what you said?"

I tried to think back to it, but nothing came up. I sighed.

"To be honest, I can't really remember half of what I said," I rubbed my neck again. "I-I was just so pissed at myself for what I did to you…"

I forced my paw down. This was no time to act like a scared little kit. I leaned forward, taking her paws.

"I-I never wanted to hurt you, Carrots, I just…" I shoved out a long breath. "This case is just bringing up so much I don't want to remember. I thought I could handle it, but I can't. It's scaring the shit out of me and I took it all out on you."

I glanced up at her, my ears falling when I saw the look on her face. Her mouth was clamped shut, her eyes slightly wider and completely blank. I gulped, trying to keep my voice even.

"I-I'm just so used to being screwed with and pushed around…I-I didn't even want to admit to _myself_ how important you were becoming to me."

Before I could think twice about it, I reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her to me.

"I'm so sorry, Judy," all I could do was whisper it. "I-I never wanted to hurt you, I just couldn't…"

I trailed off when she pushed back, looking up at me. It was the first time I'd noticed what color her eyes were: purple, like the lavender flowers my mom had loved. She sighed.

"I don't completely understand what you must be going through right now," she still wouldn't say my name. "But I understand enough to know how hard it is, to feel like every bad thing in your life is coming back to hit you all at once."

She narrowed her eyes, grabbing a pawful of my fur and yanking it.

"But that is no excuse for what you said to me, and it's going to be a while before I can forgive you," she suddenly dropped her head, her ears slapping me in the snout. When she looked back up, her ears had gotten even darker. "But you're becoming important to me, too, and even if this weren't my job, I'd still be doing everything I could to help you find Trevor, I promise."

She let go of my fur, putting her paw flat against my chest. I froze when it slipped lower, when she started leaning closer.

"And Nick…"

The heart that had jumped in my throat flew out my mouth when she slammed a fist in my gut. I started coughing like crazy, staring up at her with tears in my eyes.

"Don't you _ever_ pull that stunt again. If something's bothering you, take your head out of your ass and _talk_ to me about it. Got it?"

I grabbed my stomach, trying not to dry heave.

"Y-Yeah, got it!" I finally caught my breath. "And damn, do you pack a punch!"

She laughed, throwing her arms around me. I hugged her back, my tail frizzing when I felt her nose burrow through my fur and brush my skin. I stared down at her.

"Did…did you just _nuzzle_ me?!"

She giggled, shrugging.

" _May_ be…"


	15. Chapter 15

_"_ _What do you think, Nicky?"_

 _I looked up at the faces smiling down at me. I finally had a mommy and daddy all my own, even if they weren't like me. I smiled back up at them, hopping in place._

 _"_ _We have a big house!"_

 _They laughed. I liked hearing them laugh._

 _"_ _Yes, we do, Nicky," she walked to a big staircase. "Tony, come down and meet your new little brother!"_

 _The word sounded funny. I looked up at Daddy._

 _"_ _Brother?"_

 _He nodded, getting down on his knees and putting his hoof on my shoulder._

 _"_ _That's right, and we hope you'll have another one very soon," he turned me when someone walked down the stairs. "And Nick, this is Tony, your new big brother."_

 _He was different colors than Mommy or Daddy; had they picked him out special too? He looked at me._

 _"_ _Why is he a fox?"_

I shook my head. That was one of my first memories of my parents, the first of Tony. And what was happening now only made it sting more.

"Nick?"

I blinked. Paul was standing by the curb, watching me. Like the doc had promised, I was out before sundown, but he was the only one who'd stuck around. Carrots had a job to get back to, and Mercy didn't want to be in public longer than she had to. We hadn't had any trouble with Brandon yet, but I knew from experience that he was just biding his time.

"Sorry," I caught up to him, touching the cut and wincing. Whatever they'd given me in there was wearing off. "I think the fall scrambled my brain."

"Wouldn't be the first time," he climbed in his car, tapping the wheel as he waited for me. "You sure you're up for tonight?"

Just before she'd left, Carrots had said that buying her dinner would get her closer to forgiving me. I'd invited her back to my place, saying I'd do one better and cook for her.

"I just need some pain killers," I waved a paw. "I'll be fine."

* * *

"So, Paul, was Nick lying to me when he said he could cook?"

I glared over my shoulder. The door between the kitchen and dining room was closed, but I could still hear her clear as day.

 _You've been asking that since you_ got _here, Carrots…_

"You've been asking that for the last hour, Judy," Paul told her. She sighed.

"I know, but that's because no one will answer me!"

I rolled my eyes, shutting off the timer and pulling the pan out of the oven. I put it on the stove and grabbed the bottle next to it, popping a couple more pills in my mouth. I was always a complete wuss when it came to pain. I swallowed them dry, grabbed the pan and hit the dining room.

"That's because no one can accurately explain my culinary genius," I shouldered the door open, smirking when I saw Carrots sitting on a stack of phone books. "Nice booster seat."

She groaned, then froze, her ears flicking up when her nose started twitching.

"Wow, that smells amazing, Slick!"

I chuckled, pushing the pan to the middle of the table. I peeled the foil off, uncovering what was as close to my mom's spinach lasagna as I could get. Carrots stood, leaned over the table and took a big breath.

"Did you really _make_ this?"

"With my own two paws," I sat across from her, smiling at the look on her face. "So, does this get me further on the 'road to forgiveness'?"

My face dropped when she turned to me, I wasn't so sure I liked the look coming over her. She sat down, folding her paws.

"Well, it smells great, and looks great," she copied my smirk from earlier. "But the real question is, does it also _taste_ great?"

"Of course it does," Paul was already cutting into it and dealing out pieces. "I was starting to think you'd never make this again, Nick!"

He stopped, his ears falling back.

"Uh, n-not that your other stuff's not as good…I-I think some of it might even…"

I waved a paw.

"Okay, okay, I get it, don't hurt yourself," I glanced at Carrots, her paws pressed to her mouth as she tried not to laugh. She really did look adorable like that. "So, what do you think, fluff, does it pass the taste test?"

She cut a corner off the piece in front of her, I should've thought better how thick to make it, and nibbled on it before jamming the bite in her mouth.

"It smells great, it looks great, and it tastes even better," she had a big, dopey smile on her face. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

I chuckled, the sound fading as I thought about it.

"My mom," I started, staring down at the table. "Her old man was a world-class chef, so she learned from him. Dad was always busy, and as we got older Tony was around less and less, so most of the time it was just her, me and Finnick."

I glanced up. Her fork was loaded, halfway to her mouth. She put it down, cocking her head.

"Finnick?"

I stopped, swallowing past the rock in my throat.

"My little brother," I tried not to grab at my chest; I couldn't believe how much it still hurt just to think about him. I sighed. "Anyway, we both learned to cook from her, though he was always better at it than me."

I laughed softly, even though I felt hollow.

"He was the one who came up with that code Mercy found on those profiles, we were pretty much inseparable when we were kids…"

I trailed off, the memories overwhelming me. He couldn't have been more than a day or two old when they'd brought him home, but I couldn't stop wondering why they had, with how Tony acted toward me. Then again, then hadn't known about that, not until it was too late.

I pressed a paw to my chest as I kept remembering, trying to push back the pain. I'd already broken down in front of her more than once, I didn't want her to see me like that again. I pushed back from the table, dropping from the chair and fighting to stay upright.

"Nick?"

They were both staring at me, Carrots on her feet and leaning over the table again. I saw the look in Paul's eyes, knew they were filled with the same unshed tears mine were. I shook my head, shoving a paw through my hair before rubbing the bandage at my temple.

"I-I'm fine," I managed, but even I could hear my voice break. "I-I must be more tired than I thought. I-I'm gonna turn in."

I slipped out before they could answer, leaning against the door. I stopped holding the tears back, let them slide down my face as I stared at my paw. There was so much I could've done to help Finnick, but I'd let my fear hold me back. I clenched my fist, shoving away from the door and heading upstairs.

I heard Mercy shuffling around when I passed her room; from what Ed had told me she hadn't left it since she'd come back from the hospital. I wanted to knock, tell her Paul and Carrots were downstairs, but I felt like I'd punch a hole through it if I did. And I was sure if I opened my mouth I'd just start sobbing. I shut the door when I got to my room, making sure to lock it behind me.

Most of the pictures hanging in here were just copies, the originals sitting somewhere in the evidence room at the ZPD. Why was all of this coming up now, when animals were going savage and vanishing? What was the connection?

My head hurt too much to keep thinking about it. I climbed under the blanket at the foot of the bed, crawling to the middle and curling up in a ball. I had to put a stop to all this, and soon; I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to take it.


	16. Chapter 16

It was noon before I managed to drag myself out of bed. And that was mostly because Mercy had been banging on my door for ten minutes straight.

"Nick, will you get up already?!" she slapped it again. "We've hit a breakthrough!"

That got my tail moving. I ran to the door, almost forgetting to unlock it before yanking it open.

"What do you mean?" I stared up at her. "What happened?"

She grabbed my paw and pulled me to the living room, where Paul and Carrots were sitting around her laptop. But it looked like she was the only one paying attention to it. Paul was staring at the wall, looking more pissed off than I thought he was capable of.

"What did I miss?" I stopped next to them. Carrots turned to me, not looking half as happy as I'd thought she would. In fact, she almost looked like she was about to start crying.

"Paul and I spent the morning talking to the victims' families," she glanced at him, then sighed. "At least, we were trying to. Most of them weren't very willing to talk with us…"

He scoffed.

"What she means is it was a complete freaking disaster," he crossed his arms, still glaring at the wall. "Most of them just slammed the door in our faces when they saw Judy, and the few who didn't had to pretty much be threatened with obstruction before they gave us anything useful."

I watched Carrots' ears drop behind her head, not that they'd all that perked up to begin with.

"I-It's true, they were fine if they thought it was just Paul, but as soon as they saw me…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "I knew there was still animosity between predators and prey, I even saw it back in Bunnyborrow, but I never thought it could be this bad!"

She pushed her laptop away, curling up in a little bunny ball. I barely noticed when I rubbed the front of my neck, swallowing as I remembered what had led to those scars. I knew Mercy and Trevor had them, too, but Paul was lucky. He'd still been a couple years away when those damn things were finally outlawed.

"The city's not nearly as progressive as animals like to preach it is," I said. "But it actually used to be even worse for preds, if you can believe it."

She barely moved, shifting her head just enough for me to see the corner of her eye.

"It's true," I went on. While we'd never been banned from any part of the city outright, we'd always been pretty restricted about where we could go. Everything was separate: from stores to banks and parks to schools. They were always smaller, cheaper, sometimes to the point where we wondered why prey bothered to build them for us at all. When we could get jobs, they were the down and dirty crap most prey wouldn't go near, or some kind of grunt work that was always temporary. A lot of us also ended up orphans, since most of our parents would work themselves into an early grave just to make the poverty line. "Did I ever tell you they used to make us wear 'tame' collars?"

She did look up at that, barely.

"What?"

"We'd get them when we turned thirteen," Mercy sat on the coffee table. "If we got too mad, too excited, too anything, really, they'd shock us. And the more often it happened, the worse the shocks would get."

"What?!" she jolted like she'd been punched in the back. "That's barbaric!"

"That's what we all said, but they did it to us, anyway," Mercy rubbed at her neck. "It took a serial killer turning the collars into a weapon for them to finally be outlawed."

Carrots' mouth dropped open.

"Y-You're kidding…"

Mercy shook her head.

"I wish I was, but that's the truth of it," she gulped. "I can't remember how long it took them to catch the guy, but he said he invoked a different emotion each time, making the collars shock them until their hearts gave out."

She shuddered.

"And I'll never forget this part, he claimed his victims _volunteered_ for it, if it meant showing prey just how psychotic the collars were," she looked down. "Part of me will always be pissed that it took mammals getting killed, but I'll also always be so thankful they finally made the change."

It was hard to miss the chill that slipped into the air after that. I shivered, grabbed Carrots' laptop and sat on the couch.

"So, what was this big breakthrough Mercy was going on about?" I smirked. "Was it worth almost getting my door smashed in?"

She chuckled, or tried to, at least.

"Let's hope so."

She woke the laptop and went back to what they must've been watching: traffic cameras for the nocturnal district.

"One of the last mammals to go savage was a leopardess, Julianna Stays. Her mate was pretty much the only friendly face we saw," she flashed a small smile. "He said they were just getting back from a date when she complained about getting stung by something, and a few seconds later she attacked him."

"He managed to fight her off," Paul cut in. "And this is where it starts getting weird. He said she just stared at him after he got up, then bolted. He ran after her, heard her growl, then some kind of engine. But when he got there, whatever vehicle it was was already gone, and so was she."

"She couldn't have had more than a two minute lead on him," Carrots' paws were flying over the keyboard. "He said there was a traffic camera hidden nearby, and that it would give us the best chance of finding her."

She glanced around the map for a second before pulling up a feed, her jaw dropping when she saw it play out. Julianna slid in on a pile of dead leaves, and a second or two later a black van pulled up. The two animals who got out were masked and decked out in dark clothes, one of them firing at her with a net launcher.

"They catch her, drag her in the van and drive off, less than thirty seconds," she sat back. "Whoever's making these animals disappear, they're clearly experts."

"Yeah, but where are they making them disappear _to_?" Paul asked. "That would be even more helpful."

Carrots messed around with the feeds again.

"Well, let's find out."

The van took the shortest route possible out of the district, heading toward Sahara Square, but it never showed up on the camera set up at the mouth of the tunnel.

"Wait, where'd they go?"

She backtracked, watching the van drive into the nocturnal end again, then its little vanishing act on the other camera. I leaned forward, nudging her paws aside and messing with the feeds.

"They must've turned off into one of the other tunnels, they clearly don't want to be on camera too long," I searched around a bit more, smiling when I caught the van again. "Got em', the maintenance tunnel 5N."

She looked at me, then back at the screen.

"Where's that go?"

"It opens up in the outer city wall," I switched to one of the last cameras. The road was narrow, and as if I was remembering right, had no turn-offs. "Judging by that, there's only one place they could be headed."

I pulled back, letting the tension draw out.

"It's time to visit the old Meadowbrook Asylum."

* * *

 _Oh, and I just have one silly little question. Why do we get new chapter alerts when we update our own stories? Anyone else find that kinda weird?_


	17. Chapter 17

We decided Paul and Mercy would sit this one out. It wasn't that they couldn't do stealth, okay, that was totally part of it, but Carrots and I were smaller and less likely to get caught. And if we wanted to solve this thing, we'd have to be as invisible as possible.

The half-hour drive to the asylum was silent and tense, both of us trying to think of any way things could go wrong and how to get out of it. Hell, we didn't even know what we were really getting ourselves in to right now.

"Uh, hey…Carrots?" I steered the car off the road about two miles away, pulling as far into the woods as I could. The sun had already set, my sleek black low-rider barely visible under the trees. She didn't look up, too busy checking the dart gun she always had with her. Actual firearms weren't completely outlawed, but getting anything related to them was such a pain in the ass most mammals didn't even bother. "If we do end up finding this leopard, what's the plan?"

"I'll tranq her if I have to," she slipped out. "But even if we don't find her, I still want to gather some evidence. Anything we find here might prove to be what cracks this wide open."

"Uh-huh," I held her back when she tried to walk past me. "You know, there's bound to be guards all over the place. You're the cop, have you even thought about how we'll get past them?"

"Well…" she hesitated, and I knew she was trying to think up a lie. "N…Not exactly, no. We don't have any way of knowing what we'll actually be dealing with, so as much as I hate doing this, we'll have to make it up as we go along."

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, _that's_ reassuring."

"Oh, shush," she looked me up and down. "And I've got my tranq gun, but you don't look like you have anything on you. How do you plan on defending yourself if we do run into trouble?"

I slipped a paw in my pocket, and a half-second later her little bunny nose twitched less than an inch from the tip of my knife.

"I know you're not supposed to bring these to a gun fight," I pulled it back, spun it on one finger, and slapped the blade back into the handle. "But at least it's something."

I stuck it in my pocket, then started walking. It wasn't long before she caught up to me.

"Anything more than a kitchen knife is about as hard to get as a gun," she said. "How did you manage to get your paws on _that_?"

I shrugged.

"It's custom-made," I'd tell her the whole story later. "I never go anywhere without it."

"And what about your stitches? Didn't the doctor say you had to take it easy?"

I brushed the bandage on my head, I'd pretty much forgotten about it.

"I'll be fine, I've done more than this after worse injuries. Besides," I looked down at her, smirking. "I couldn't let you do this alone."

She scowled.

"I wouldn't _be_ alone if you'd let me call for back-up. Why did you insist on going in by ourselves?"

My smirk grew.

"Well, for one thing, they'd probably arrest me on the spot, it's against the law to be this sexy," I laughed when she facepalmed. It was so easy getting that reaction out of her. "In all seriousness, though, this city's got a lot more problems than you might think. I don't want to risk the cops wasting their time here when it might be nothing."

"But there's too much of a chance it's not nothing," she argued. "Those mammals wouldn't have brought that leopard here unless everyone else who's gone missing is here, too. We can't just-!"

"Hold up," I dropped to one knee, putting a paw over her mouth. I could see the asylum through the trees now, and from the looks of it, there was a ski mask convention in town. I turned back to her. "And how do you think they'd react if they saw a bunch of cop cars tearing up the road? We've got the element of surprise for now, and we need to use it."

I pulled my paw away, taking her shoulders.

"We need to find a way to get all those guards inside, round them up in one place and lock 'em in. After that, _then_ we can worry about finding those missing mammals, and you can call for the back-up you so desperately want," I leaned closer, sure I'd never sounded more serious. "But for now, we're doing this my way, so keep your voice down and do what I tell you, understand?"

She stared up at me, her mouth hanging open a bit, then nodded.

"Good," I moved to a crouch, keeping my head below the bushes. "So let's get moving."

Just as I'd thought, they'd focused the firepower on the front, leaving just a couple guards at the back entrance. One stood by the door, the other pacing around the lot, coming within a couple feet of where we sat waiting. The only thing uncovered was their tail, as bright red and bushy as mine, with the same dark tip. They were about my size, too, which gave me an idea. I turned to Carrots, so close I could see my reflection in her eyes.

"Okay, here's the plan," my voice was so low I was sure she could barely hear it. "Next time that fox comes around, I'll grab him, knock him out and switch clothes with him. I'll tell the other guard I caught you snooping around, and ask where we lock up trespassers. Once we're in, we'll split up and search. Got it?"

She nodded, and I could've sworn I saw pride flash across her face. I ignored the spark it sent through me, turning back to see they'd walked right past us. I whipped out my phone, setting it to vibrate.

"Do the same with yours, I don't want your obnoxiously loud ringtone getting us caught."

She rolled her eyes, but did it anyway. She crept back as the fox got closer again, nodding as I got ready to grab them. Just a few more seconds…

 _Now!_

I made my move, slamming a paw over their mouth and dragging them back. They were out cold on the ground in three seconds flat.

"Damn, you're fast," she crawled forward. I shrugged, already starting to undress them.

"You don't grow up as a pred in this city without learning how to fight dirty, especially if you're a fox," I pulled off their shirt, the mask coming with it. I fell back, a gasp catching in my throat. "God, no wonder he couldn't smell us…"

She took one look, whipping her head away with her paws over her mouth.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers…"

Where their nose should've been, was only a dark, misshapen blob of scar tissue. I shuddered, taking my phone and the knife from my pocket and passing them to her.

"Hold these, and no peeking," I smirked again. "I know how that little bunny brain of yours works."

She scowled, turning away with a huff. Her ears were a delightful shade of red.

"I-In your dreams, fox."

I chuckled, peeling off the sweats I'd fallen asleep in, my nose wrinkling when I dragged the black pile of clothes over.

"Smells like he's been wearing these a week," I held my breath as I pulled them on. "But it should at least hide my scent long enough to fool the other guy."

The stuff was tighter than I'd thought it would be, but that just meant it'd be harder to catch me. I pulled the mask on, turning just in time to see Carrots stab our new friend in the arm with a dart.

"This'll keep him out a lot longer than just hitting him over the head," she took the cuffs from her belt and snapped them on, her ears getting even darker when she looked up at me. "Uh, wow…"

I chuckled, grabbing my stuff from the grass and slipping them back in my pocket. I took her arm, bringing us both to our feet.

"Moment of truth," I whispered. "Let's see if we can pull this off."


	18. Chapter 18

"You really need to work on your acting, Carrots."

I let go of her arm when we got inside, taking the key she held out to me and unlocking the cuffs. She shrugged, tucking them wherever she kept them.

"I've never been 'captured' by a perp before," she kept her voice low this time. "And I thought I did pretty well. I won a talent show in Bunnyburrow with my acting when I was nine!"

I yanked the mask off, the stink of that other fox was starting to suffocate me.

"Yeah, that's quite the achievement," I stuffed the mask in the pocket on my leg. "I mean, you're only what, twenty-four now?"

"Har, har," she looked around. The only light we had was from the emergency ones lining the floor, more than enough for me, but I wasn't sure about her. "Where are we, anyway?"

"An old storage room, we're actually pretty close to the loading bay," I started walking, forcing back the images flooding my head. The silence was already starting to get to me, the only real sounds my claws on the floor, our breathing and the blood starting to pound in my ears. I jumped when her paw touched my arm, her eyes narrowed and her mouth a thin line.

"I shouldn't have let you come with me," she said. "This has clearly gotten to be too much for you and you're way too close to it."

She tightened her grip, pulling me closer to her level.

"You are going to stay here until I finish investigating," she went on. "The last thing we need now is you having another attack and getting us caught, understand?"

I stared down at her, kneeling when I felt my balance start to slip.

"Little late to be thinking like that, isn't it, Fluff?" I reached up before I could think about it, brushing her cheek with the back of my paw. "And you've seen what trying to ignore all this has done to me. You know I need to do this, otherwise…"

I pulled back my paw, my eyes dropping to the floor.

"I might never be able to move on."

I glanced up when she didn't say anything for a while, my eyes widening when I saw her trying to wipe away tears.

"Nick, I…" she sighed, her ears dropping behind her head. "I never thought about it that way, and as much as I understand, I still don't want you to be part of this anymore. Breaking this case might cause you more damage than it fixes."

"We don't know that," I tilted her chin back. "But even if it does, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I sat back now, not when I know someone from my past is doing all this. I have to at least make sure all these animals are safe, can you let me have that much?"

She looked at me, the sadness in her eyes being pushed back by determination. It suited her a whole lot better.

"Yeah, okay," she smiled. "Let's get those missing mammals home."

She looked around again while I got up, her new enthusiasm already dimming.

"But…where do we even start?"

I thought a minute, trying to get into the head of whoever was doing this.

"If I'm right, they'll be in the high-risk area, that's where I'd hold them, anyway," I pulled out the mask and put it back on, turning to see her doing the same with the cuffs. "And I'm guessing that's where they'd want to keep anyone caught snooping around, especially if they're cops."

I took her arm when we got to the door, hoping the stink of unwashed fox would be enough to hide my scent from the rest of the guards, at least until we got what we came for. I glanced down at her, smiling when I saw her steel herself.

"Let's do this."

* * *

It was starting to look like the emergency lights were the only thing working in this place, and that whoever was in charge hadn't even thought someone might actually get inside.

"I haven't seen anyone yet," Carrots muttered. "Did they really only post guards outside?"

"Looks like it," I glanced around, still pushing back memories. "Doesn't really surprise me, though. Most of the city's forgotten this place even existed."

She stopped, grabbing my wrist.

"Everything about this case has had a specific connection to you," she started. "So where does _this_ place fit in to your past, Nick?"

I hesitated, wondering if I should just tell her the first lie that came to mind, but I knew she'd see through anything I said. There was also the fact she could just find the information herself anyway, and there was no way to know how she'd see me after, but I knew it wouldn't be good.

"I…spent a few months here," I pulled her to the side, sitting against the wall. I knew I shouldn't waste the time, but I had the feeling I wouldn't be able to focus until I said it. And spacing out in enemy territory was the best way to get you killed. "I'll get into the details later, but I'd just been through every kind of hell. They locked me up here to make sure my head was still screwed straight, but I think _they_ caused more damage than they fixed."

She looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

I shrugged.

"No one really seemed to know what they were doing. A lot of the patients might as well have been in comas, since they were drugged and stuck in bed so often," I shook my head. "I was one of the 'lucky ones', as they put it. I only needed meds to sleep, and since I was 'just a kid', they let me roam pretty much anywhere I wanted, as long as I didn't try to leave."

I shuddered.

"I ended up seeing a lot of things that shouldn't happen outside a horror movie, and to this day I still get nightmares about it," I stopped when I caught a couple scents, my ears perking when I heard footsteps. I glanced around the corner, seeing an elk and a cheetah in lab coats, following a lion in a suit.

"Is that…the mayor?"

Carrots grabbed my arm, her face blank in shock. I nodded.

"I knew he'd have to be involved somehow, with how quickly they've all disappeared," I pulled back, taking her with me. "Animals going savage is bad enough on its own, but since they're all preds, it's even worse for him. He probably thinks he'll be impeached if he doesn't figure out what's causing it."

Not that there was much chance of that happening. He'd run unopposed the last four elections, and I knew most of the city would rather he stay in power than have the assistant mayor climb the ladder. The little sheep put on a convincing 'sweet and innocent' act, with a lot of incompetence thrown in for good measure, but it was no secret how much she hated preds. There'd already been several stories about her trying to put shock collars back into play, each one met with more animals screaming to kick her out. But for some reason, it never happened.

"Let's follow them," I whispered. "And turn your camera on, we may be able to get even more than we bargained for."


	19. Chapter 19

Lionheart was leading us exactly where I'd expected him to, but the talk we overheard was anything but.

"We haven't figured out exactly how these mammals are going savage," the cheetah started, her voice flat and steely. "But we have concluded that it isn't happening naturally."

The elk stopped, flicking through screens on his tablet, but I couldn't catch what he was looking at. Carrots and I strayed a few yards back, her with her phone up and taking video. He looked up, fumbling with it when he rushed to catch up.

"I believe we're getting close to figuring it out, though, sir," he said. He sounded younger than the cheetah, probably fresh outta med school. "There are only a few components we haven't been able to isolate yet, but there doesn't seem to be anything, natural or synthetic, that can cause all the changes we're seeing."

Lionheart's paws tightened into fists.

"So what you're telling me is, you have nothing and aren't making any headway," he turned to the coats. "Is that right?"

They stopped, the elk shaking a bit. He gulped.

"I-I'm afraid so, sir," he perked up. "B-But we're close to a breakthrough, I-I can feel it!"

"Just 'feeling it' isn't enough, Hoofward," the lion snapped. It was obvious how much he was holding himself back. "So get back in that lab and find me some damn results!"

Hoofward jumped, scrambling for his tablet before running ahead. A few seconds later, something beeped and a door slammed shut. The cheetah cleared her throat.

"Have you gotten any updates from Bogo?" she asked. "Are the police any closer to finding who may be behind this?"

Lionheart seethed for a second before forcing himself to chill, running a paw over his mane and clearing his throat.

"Bogo doesn't know, not yet," he ran his paws through his mane again. "But my sources tell me several of his officers believe they're on the cusp, the problem is none of them have anything concrete."

I tuned out after that, motioning for Carrots to stay where she was. I took advantage of their little distraction, slipping past them and in to the high-security area. Well, what had passed for it in this place, anyway. The only thing it had going for it out here was heavy doors, a set at each end that locked if someone tripped the alarm. The hall itself was just as dark as the rest of the place, the rooms that lined both sides fronted with the same thick, shatter-proof glass Trevor had been locked behind at All Saints.

I pulled out my phone and started recording, my instincts screaming at me to run every time one of them locked eyes with me. I tensed, waiting for one to jump at me, growling and snarling like Trevor had, but other than the slit eyes that followed me, it looked like I was the only thing moving.

"They must've been drugged," I whispered, holding my phone close to my mouth. "And it looks like there still haven't been any prey victims."

I walked back up the other side, my fur still standing on end. There were sixteen victims so far, each of them a different species. How many were there going to end up being? Why were they all fans of my band? Why had that old code shown up on their profiles? I knew I'd pissed off a lot of mammals in my life, but I never thought someone could hate me enough to hurt others.

My paw tightened around my phone. It pissed me off to no end, knowing I was somehow the cause of all this, and that there didn't seem to be a damn thing any of us could do to stop it. I stopped recording when I reached the end, stuffing my phone in my pocket, my fingers brushing against my knife. A small part of me was screaming for me to pull it out, to find the first animal I could and rip them to shreds with it. I was more than capable of it, I knew that, but that wasn't who I was anymore. It never really had been, but it was a role I'd been forced in to, one I regretted to this day.

I froze when I heard voices, ducking into an empty room when the doors in front of me started to open. They were made with the largest animals in mind, the metal rim at the bottom more than enough to hide me. I cursed to myself when I saw one of the guards, Carrots slung and struggling over his shoulder. He laughed, grabbing her tail.

"Shame you're so tiny," he brought her in front of him, holding her at arm's length. She kicked and punched at him, just making him laugh more. "You've got a pretty nice ass, and I love 'em fiery, but I'd break you before I even got close."

He threw her in the same room I was in, slamming the door shut before she got to her feet.

"But you won't have to stay here long, honey, it's almost feeding time."

He laughed again and walked out, the door slamming behind him. I let her fume for a while, trying not to laugh at what passed for curses in her head.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers, freaking carrot sticks, fluffing sugar honey iced tea!"

"Wow, quite the mouth there, Fluff," I couldn't keep it in anymore. I sat up, pressing a paw to my mouth to keep from laughing too loud. "Don't make me tell your parents!"

She groaned, mashing her eyes with her paws.

"Just stuff it, Wilde," she plopped down next to me, taking out her phone. "You're just lucky I have a back-up plan."

She tapped out a text, not surprised when it said it couldn't be sent.

"Just as I thought," she put it away, leaning against my arm. "They've got something here that blocks outside reception, so anything other than their tablets and phones might as well be paperweights."

She smiled a bit.

"I sent Clawhauser a few texts while you changing in the bushes, saying I was chasing down a lead and that if he didn't hear from me in three hours to send backup to this address."

She wrapped her arms around mine, yawning a bit.

"And we've only got about an hour left, so all we have to do is sit tight until…"

She yawned again, bigger this time. I chuckled, yanking off the mask and throwing it across the room. I was pretty much nose-blind to the stink by now, but it was a lot easier to breathe without it. Without thinking, I pulled her into my lap, putting her head on my shoulder.

"Not the best, but more comfortable than the floor," I smiled down at her. "And since we've got the time, why not take advantage of it?"

She giggled, grabbing my shirt and nuzzling me again. And again I ignored the jolt it sent through me.

"Fine, but you're taking a shower after this," she tugged my shirt. "This thing reeks."

I chuckled.

"You read my mine, Fluff, you read my mind."

* * *

It was the shriek of the alarm that woke her up. She stared around a second before pushing off me, running to the door and doing everything she could to try and open it.

"Don't bother, Carrots," I got to my feet, rubbing my back. I couldn't remember the last time I'd just sat on the floor like that. "I was locked in here a lot, and once those doors shut, the only way out is if a lab coat cards you out."

"B-But," she turned to me, not really seeing me. "But that's the _fire_ alarm, all the exits should be unlocked now!"

I shook my head.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but that's not the fire alarm, that's the 'violent patient is loose' alarm. Every patient in this place made them throw it at least once. Something big must be going down."

She turned back to the door, her ears straining to catch any sound. But there wasn't anything to hear except the alarm and the sounds of the savage animals trying to get away from it. I looked up at the ceiling, knowing what was coming next. I grabbed the mask from the floor and shoved it in her paws, making her hold it up to her face.

"I know that thing stinks," I said. I pointed at the ceiling. "But those vents up there are gonna start spitting out gas any second, I don't want you getting caught in it."

She stared up at me, her eyes wide. For the first time since I'd met her, I saw fear.

"But…But what about you?" she pulled the mask down. "I can't just-!"

"Stop it," I pushed her paws back to her face. I smirked. "I've been hit with the gas before, and after the month I've had, I could use the nap. I'll be fine, Carrots."

She kept staring at me, then nodded, going to a corner and curling up in it. I pulled my shirt over my muzzle, looking up when the vents hissed open. I knew the mask wouldn't be enough, but for some reason I felt better knowing she had it. I sat next to her and pulled her in my lap again, putting an arm around her, the other keeping my shirt up.

"Don't worry, Carrots," my head was already feeling heavy, I knew it wouldn't be much longer. "I'm right here with you, I always will be…"

The last thing I felt was her snuggling closer to me.


	20. Chapter 20

_Daddy put me on his shoulder, both of us looking down at Mommy. She had a blanket in her hooves, a blue one that was wrapped around something that wiggled._

 _"_ _What is that, Daddy?" I tried to slide off. "Why's it moving like that?"_

 _He laughed, taking me in his hooves and putting me on the couch next to Mommy. She held up the blanket, pulling part of it away to show me a little face._

 _"_ _This is your baby brother, Nicky," she laughed when the baby grabbed her hoof. "Finnick, this is Nicky."_

 _I looked down at him. He was sucking on her hoof, the blanket falling off his ears._

 _"_ _What is he, Mommy?"_

 _"_ _He's a fox, just like you, son," Daddy said. I shook my head._

 _"_ _Nuh-uh, I'm red, he's brown, we're different."_

 _Daddy laughed._

 _"_ _You're both still foxes, son," he put a hoof on my shoulder. "He's a fennec fox."_

 _"_ _Fen-nec?" I looked at Finnick. He grabbed Mommy's hoof again, laughing when she tickled him._

 _"_ _You guys are zebras, right?" I looked up at them. They looked at each other, and Daddy nodded._

 _"_ _That's right, son, we're zebras."_

 _"_ _That means you're prey," I said. "But you picked me, and Finnick. Kids at school call us pred-tors, and my teachers say-"_

 _"_ _Nicky," Daddy picked me up again. I looked up at him. "It doesn't matter what species we all are, or what anyone else might say. All three of you are our sons, and nothing will ever change that."_

 _He kissed my head. I squirmed._

 _"_ _Daddy, I'm not a baby!"_

 _They laughed. I liked making them laugh._

* * *

 _"Hurry up, Nick, we're gonna be late!"_

 _"Coming!"_

 _I tied my neckerchief, just like Tony had showed me. Tonight was my first Junior Ranger Scouts meeting, another chance for me to finally be part of a pack. Even if I was the only pred in the troop._

 _"Nick!"_

 _"I'm coming!"_

 _I ran downstairs. Tony was standing by the door with his hooves in his pockets, looking so awesome in his full-fledged Ranger Scouts uniform. I couldn't wait until it was my turn to get one._

 _"About time," Tony looked at me then went for the door. "Time to get going, squirt!"_

 _I groaned._

 _"Told you not to call me that!"_

 _He shrugged._

 _"Tough. Until you're taller than me, you're stuck with it."_

 _I rolled my eyes, following him down the steps and to the car. Mom was already there, laughing as she tried to make Finnick sit still long enough to get him in his car seat._

 _"I can never get this, it's just too small," she looked at us, still chuckling. "Nicky, could you help me with this?"_

 _"Sure," I jumped up and grabbed Finnick, tickling him until he squirmed to get away._

 _"No tickle, no tickle!"_

 _I laughed._

 _"Hold still, then," I told him. "You're not a jumping bean!"_

 _"I am, too!" he started hopping to prove it, and almost fell off the seat. Tony groaned._

 _"Just get him in there!" he jumped in his seat. "We're already late!"_

 _"I got it, I got it! Keep your shirt on!"_

 _"Nicky!"_

 _"Sorry, Mom!"_

* * *

 _I cried. I yelled. I tore apart anything I got my paws on._

 _My fault. It was all my fault._

 _I should've been watching him. I should've been paying attention!_

 _"Nick!" Dad grabbed my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed I was ready to pound something again. "Calm down, stop blaming yourself. None of that will help bring Finnick back!"_

 _I growled, yanking my arm away._

 _"What else can I do?_ I'm _the one who was supposed to be watching him!"_

 _"And you did an amazing job," Dad backed away. It was just a step, but I knew he was scared of me. They all were. "It happened too quickly, there wasn't anything any of us could've done!"_

 _I knew he was trying, but it didn't make me feel any better. Nothing ever would. Finnick, my own baby brother, was dead because I did a crappy job watching him. It didn't matter that I'd only looked away for a second, not even that, or that that car had come speeding out of nowhere. It was the first time I'd been allowed to watch him by myself, the first time Mom and Dad had trusted me with something that big, and all I'd done was prove everything mammals said about foxes._

 _"I'm untrustworthy," I muttered. "I'm sly, I'm shifty, and I'll never be anything else. I can't even be trusted with my own brother!"_

 _I was crying again, or had I even stopped since we got the news? Sure, it had only been a weasel-sized car, but it had done enough damage that Finnick was dead two days later, after they'd already done everything they could've to fix him._

 _Or, at least, that's what they'd said. He was a fox, too, after all._

 _"I can't stay here," I looked up at Dad. "Can I stay with Grandma and Grandpa for a while?"_

 _I knew it was a lot to ask, but right now, I didn't care. I didn't care about anything except getting away. At least Mom and Dad wouldn't have to see my face, the face of the fox that killed their baby._

* * *

 _"C'mon, foxy, fight back! You know you want to!"_

 _Tony was glaring down at me, his mouth in a smug grin I wanted to tear off. But I couldn't do anything. The shocks from the collar had left me wasted, pinned by my own rage. I growled at him, another bolt lashing through me. I screamed, but he just laughed. I hated it when he laughed._

 _"You're getting what you deserve, fox," he was still scowling. "You're getting what you've_ always _deserved!"_

 _I didn't say anything to that, and not just because the shocks made it hard to even breathe. I kept quiet because I knew he was right. He'd always been right. Predators had no right trying to live with prey. We were dangerous, untrustworthy, and foxes, no matter how small, were the worst. I waited for the last shock to stop, whimpering as tears leaked from my eyes. I didn't want to cry anymore, but I couldn't stop myself. I was too weak even for that._

 _"Mom and Dad never should've adopted you in the first place," he growled at me. "None of this would've happened if they'd just kept you two where you belong!"_

 _I froze. I knew he was right. Hell, I'd thought the same thing for years, but for some reason, hearing him say it brought out a whole new side of me. An even more enraged and crazy one. I barely noticed when I jumped, part of me still trying to clear the red fog that clouded my eyes. I landed, biting and scratching, the jolts, even worse than before, throwing me off before I was even close to finished._

 _I pawed at the collar, my only thought now to get it off. I wanted it to stop hurting me, but at the same time, I didn't. I wanted it to keep shocking me until I couldn't feel it anymore, either because I'd gone numb, or because it finally just shut my heart down. I wasn't sure which one I wanted more._

 _"Y-You crazy fox!" Tony yelled. He was on the floor, too, that smug grin finally off his face. He was bleeding everywhere, from the bites and cuts_ I'd _given him. As far as I was concerned, he deserved them, every single one. He was the one who kept egging me on, kept making me want to-_

 _"I wish that weasel would've hit_ both _of you…"_

 _I froze, staring at him._

 _And the red came back._

* * *

 _"I said let go of me!"_

 _The elephant just tightened his trunk around me, crushing the air out of me. I'd been stuck at Meadowbrook for months, ever since I'd walked in on my mom's-_

 _"Not until you calm down, son," the head doctor stood in front of us, a needle ready in his hoof. "I don't want to have to drug you again!"_

 _I growled, swiped at him. My claws clipped, filled down to stumps. To keep me from hurting myself, they said, but I knew the truth. They were scared of me, and keeping my claws dull helped them feel braver. I barked out a laugh._

 _"You can't wait to get that damn needle into me, just admit it," I squirmed again, the trunk loosening for a second before it tightened again. I was wearing him down. "I bet you wish those fucking shock collars were still around, too!"_

 _"That's enough!" the moose slammed his foot down. "I know how difficult this is for you, but it doesn't excuse you lashing out like this, especially at hospital staff!"_

 _He caught himself, forced himself to quiet down. It_ never _worked if they got as worked up as their patients. I scoffed._

 _"You need to let us help you," he managed, his hoof tight on the needle. Any more, and he'd break the damn thing. "You'll never get out if you keep fighting us."_

 _I growled again, spit at his feet._

"That's _what I think of your_ help _," I snarled. "And you prey are all the same, you just want us preds locked up and gone where we can't get to you!"_

 _I flashed my teeth. Those, at least, were as sharp as they were supposed to be. Guess even prey had to draw the line somewhere._

 _"Go on, tell me I'm wrong," I went on. "Tell me that_ isn't _what crosses your mind every time you look at me, or_ any _pred. Tell me we're not just monsters to you!"_

 _I stopped cold when I said it. It was the first time I'd ever said that out loud, one of my biggest fears. The doctor stared at me, his hoof with the needle hanging at his side, his mouth dropped open. The elephant put me down; I just slumped to my knees, not wanting to fight anymore._

 _"Please," I muttered. I looked up at him. "Please tell me we aren't just monsters…"_

 _I started crying, didn't try to stop myself this time. The last thing I expected was the moose to kneel in front of me, to put a hoof on my shoulder and look at me with actual kindness. The first I'd known in over a year._

 _"You're not just a monster, Nicolas," he said. "Far from it. We just need you to find another way to channel the anger you feel."_

 _He pulled away._

 _"Being destructive like you are is only going to hurt mammals in the end, including yourself. And I know you don't want that, you never did. You just didn't know how else to respond when someone hurt you."_

 _I looked up at him, sniffling and wiping my eyes like a baby. He smiled._

 _"So, what do you say, Nicolas, you want to try finding another way?"_

 _I sniffed again._

 _"Stop calling me Nicolas, and you've got a deal, Doc."_

 _He laughed. I liked hearing him laugh._


	21. Chapter 21

"For someone who hates hospitals, you sure seem to love lying in them."

Paul had been throwing out quips like that since I'd woken up. I rolled my eyes, turning my head to look at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be quiet and shy?" I didn't bother hiding my annoyance. "What happened to that?"

He shrugged.

"Eh, just got tired of it," he took out his phone. My eyes narrowed, then I smirked.

"It doesn't have anything to do with the fact you wanna bang Mercy, does it?"

He choked, his phone falling on my bed when he got caught up in a coughing fit. He stared at me.

"W-What the hell are you _talking_ about?"

"Oh, please," I pushed myself up, leaning back on my paws. "It's not exactly hard to miss how you look at her, or the smell that comes off you when she gets close."

His mouth dropped open; he snapped it shut. His ears folded back, red as a cardinal.

"I-Is it really that obvious?"

I chuckled.

"Afraid so, buddy," I folded my legs, resting my arms on my knees. "It's not hard to miss how much she wants you, either."

That made his ears get even darker. My smirk faded.

"But I don't think she'll act on it any time soon, not as long as she has Brandon to be afraid of."

He growled, snatching his phone up.

"It's been about a month since she left, and there hasn't been any sign of him," he sighed. "You think he would've tried something by now."

"Maybe," I thought about it. "Or maybe he's just waiting until our guard's down from this missing mammals case."

Saying that brought a certain gray bunny to mind, one I hadn't thought about since I'd woken up.

"How's Carrots?" I looked at him. "Is she okay?"

He glanced at his phone.

"Yeah, that's actually what I've been texting about," he scrolled through something. "Mercy's looking after her, but she says it'll be another hour or two before Judy wakes up."

I sighed in relief. I hadn't told her what that gas really was, knowing it would've just made her panic. It was sleeping gas, I'd said that much, but it was also laced with a mild nerve poison, some kind of paralyzer. It'd been the staff's way of 'handling' a violent patient. If one got loose or too crazy in their cell, they gassed that entire hall to make sure the rest of us didn't become part of the problem.

"And what about all the animals that went savage?" I turned back to him. "How're they holding up?"

He shrugged.

"They wouldn't tell me or Mercy anything, you'll just have to wait until you can talk to Judy."

"Right…" I sat back, looking out the window. It was sunny, finally, and there was a lot of racket in the street. "What's going on out there?"

He tapped at his phone for a minute.

"Some kind of protest, I think," he went to the window and looked out. "A lot of mammals are pissed the mayor was basically kidnapping everyone who'd gone savage, even if he was trying to find a cure for it."

I pushed the blanket off, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Carrots and I heard one of the lab coats say it wasn't happening naturally," I pushed a paw through my hair. "But what if it is? What if preds are just snapping because of how prey have treated us?"

He shook his head.

"I thought about that, but it makes even less sense than what's happening now," he put his phone away. "I mean, if it was happening naturally, there'd probably be a lot more of us going savage, then there's the fact only fans of our band are the ones losing it."

He sat down again.

"Honestly, I'm with Judy. Whoever's behind this is seriously pissed at you and this is just their completely insane way of getting back at you."

"Yeah, but who?" I pressed a paw to my chest. "There's only one animal I know that could hate me this much, and he disappeared years ago."

"Doesn't mean he's not still around," he pulled his phone back out. "He could've just been laying low all this time, setting this whole thing up and just waiting to light the fuse."

I didn't even wanna try thinking about it that way. Hell, I was still trying to get my head around the fact this all had to do with me in the first place. But there really was no other way to spin this, no matter how hard I tried.

"I'm gonna hit the caf," he stood. "I'll see if they have any blueberries for you."

I nodded, barely hearing him.

"Yeah…thanks."

* * *

My head was spinning by the time he got back. Hearing the protests outside sure wasn't helping. It felt like the whole city had just snapped when the news broke, half the stations twisting the facts like they always did to make it sound like preds were the problem. The rest were saying prey were to blame, that this was what they deserved for treating us like shit for so long.

 _Ugh, at this rate, we probably won't_ have _a city much longer…_

I looked up when Paul's phone went off. He pulled it out, smiling.

"Mercy just told me that Judy's awake, she has been for a while, she just wanted to make sure the doctors were done with her before she let us know."

He put it down, looking at me.

"I'm guessing you want to see her first? _Alone_?"

My tail frizzed a bit when he said it. I turned away, folding my ears down.

"Not for the reason _you're_ thinking," I glared at him. "We still have some stuff to figure out with the case."

He smirked, tossing an apple before biting into it.

"Yeah, sure."

I groaned.

"I liked you better when you _didn't_ want to bone Mercy," that shut him up. "And if by some miracle it does happen, get a hotel."

I left him standing there with his mouth hanging open, throwing up a paw as I walked out.

"Catch ya later!"

Mercy was standing in the hall when I got to Carrots' room, probably so I could find it. She was finally using the phone I'd bought her, instead of just stealing mine. It didn't really do more than text, but she said it was all she needed.

"Hey, Nick," she smiled, nodding toward the door. "Judy's been asking for you."

I rolled my eyes.

"I would've been here earlier if _someone_ had told me she was awake."

She shrugged.

"I wanted to make sure you wouldn't get interrupted, what can I say?"

"Right," I walked past her, pausing with my paw on the door. "And Paul's sitting in my room, and Carrots and I are gonna be busy for a while, so why don't you go keep him company?"

I winked at her, slipping inside before she could answer. I chuckled, it was way too easy to mess with those two. Carrots' room was just as boring as mine, but it did have one thing worth looking at.

She was standing on her toes by the window, still barely able to look through it. Rabbit girls in general had nice legs, comes with the territory, I guess, but hers were perfect: long, slim and toned. And the way she was standing made her ass look nice and tight. I gave a low whistle.

"And I thought I was the only one who can make hospital gowns look good…"

She froze, her tail and ears standing straight up.

"D-Don't you have better things to do than stare at young bunnies?" she turned to me, crossing her arms. Her face and ears were _red._ "Pervert."

I chuckled.

"Hey, I'm a guy. I see a hot girl, I'm gonna stare, I can't help it."

She got down from the window, somehow managing to blush even more.

"Y-You think I'm…hot?"

I shrugged, feeling my own face heat up.

"Kinda hard not to," I smiled. "I mean, yeah, you're gorgeous, and you don't turn into a giggling, gasping mess whenever I look at you. It's…different, I can't really explain it."

I didn't even notice I was walking the whole time my mouth was going, until I was almost right on top of her. She stared up at me, her face locked in that blank look I hadn't seen since the second time we met. I knelt, my paw trailing over her cheek. There were three scars under her soft, short fur. Her paw covered mine, the other resting on my arm, which had already wrapped around her. Her face was so close…

"J-Judy, I…"

"AAAAWWWWWW!"


	22. Chapter 22

"C-C-Clawhauser?!"

I don't know who let go first, but Carrots and I both ended up sprawled on the floor. The fat cheetah from the precinct was standing there, his paws on his cheeks and squealing high enough to make glass break.

"O-M-Goodness," he stared at me, still wearing that huge smile. "So _this_ is the mammal that's had our little Judy so hot and bothered lately!"

My brain must've short-circuited for a second; did I just hear that right? I turned to Carrots, who looked like she'd just crawled out of a paint bucket.

"H-Have you been talking about me?!"

She shook her head.

"N-No, of course not! I only told them what was needed for-"

"Oh, she didn't need to tell us," Clawhauser held out a paw to each of us. "Anyone with a decent nose has been able to pick up on it!"

She squeaked, flopping her ears over her face and holding them there. Usually, I would've had some fun with her, but I was about as shell-shocked as she was.

"C-Can we just talk about the case, please?" her voice was muffled by her ears. "Please?"

The cheetah looked kinda crestfallen.

"Aw, but I want to know how long you two have been dating, you're just so cute together!"

I glanced at Carrots, who looked like she was about to combust.

"We're not dating, Spots," I turned to him, flashing a smug smile I'd used a thousand times. "It's normal for girls to smell like that around me, I'm irresistible!"

If that sounded as flimsy as I thought it did, a five-year-old wouldn't have believed it. Sure enough, Spots just lit up even more.

"Then you must find her pretty irresistible, too, your scent spikes every time you get near her!"

I froze. How the hell could I have missed that? How could I have let it get so out of control?

"Uh, I-I'm with Carrots," I tugged the fur on the back of my neck. I cleared my throat. "Can we just talk about the case, please?"

It felt like Spots had been staring at us for hours before he finally let up, that "I'm gonna explode with excitement" look dropping off his face. Well, mostly.

"There were more victims than we originally thought," he got right into it, surprising me. "We found the sixteen in the high security hallway, then a thorough sweep of the building turned up four more. They were all locked up in different examination rooms."

"But we only had the fifteen missing mammals cases," Carrots cut in. "Plus the one we followed to the asylum. Where'd those other four come from?"

He shrugged.

"There must not have been anyone to report them missing, we haven't even been able to find their names yet. And that's not even the weird part."

"What do you mean?"

He glanced at me, looking more worried.

"Those other four…they were all foxes."

* * *

 _"They were all foxes, two fennecs, two reds."_

That had been going through my head on a loop for hours. Spots had filled us in on what had happened while we were out: the victims had been taken to the city's best research hospital, and they were working with the mayor's team to try and speed up finding an antidote. But they still didn't have any idea what was causing it, or even if it _could_ be reversed.

"I can't believe this is happening," Carrots buried her face in her pillow. We were still stuck in the hospital, would be until morning at least. I sighed, taking it from her and throwing it at the headboard.

"You'll suffocate if you keep doing that," I muttered. "And I know, I don't get how they haven't found anything, either. How many drugs could there really be that cause this?"

She flopped on her side.

"And what's even worse is how quickly they seem to be able to make the stuff, and how many animals they must have tested it on before getting the effect they wanted."

She gulped.

"There's probably victims out there that we'll never be able to find, and a lot of them might already be dead."

She was about ready to cry, I could hear it. I leaned forward and touched her shoulder, brushing the ear lying against it.

"I'm sure you've told me this already, but getting worked up isn't gonna solve anything," I smirked a bit. "And like I said before, let the lab coats take care of that. We've got our own job to do."

I pulled back.

"And even if we never find those other victims, we'll still find whoever did that to them. We'll make sure they don't hurt anyone else."

She looked at me, then managed to smile a bit. I smiled back.

"Now there's the bunny I love to see," I held out a paw. "And it's gonna be sunset pretty soon, what do you say we go up on the roof and watch it?"

Her ears went a shade darker. She took my paw.

"I-I'd like that."

"Great," I glanced at our paws, then pulled her closer and trapped her in a headlock; it wasn't enough to hurt her, just so she couldn't escape easily. I noogied her, both of us laughing the whole time. She was still giggling when I let her go, trying to catch her breath. "And that was for sucker punching me last time we were here."

She glared at me, her eyes still glowing.

"You deserved that, though," she slipped off the bed and walked to the door, flicking her tail the whole way. "Now, are you gonna walk me to the roof, or is my 'perfect bunny ass' gonna have to escort itself?"

I choked. Had she really heard me thinking that? With those ears, I wouldn't be surprised. She laughed.

"Relax, Slick, pretty much every guy I know thinks that about me, I've heard them all say it at least once."

I wasn't sure if that made me feel better or worse. At least I wasn't alone. I shoved a paw through my hair, trailing behind her all the way to the roof. It didn't have as good a view as I'd thought it would, but we could still see the sun reflecting off windows, almost making the city look like it was on fire. She went right up to the railing, leaning out and staring at the street six floors below. It was rush hour, sunlight flashing on lines of cars stuck at a standstill.

"We don't have views like this in Bunnyburrow," she pulled back, leaning against my side. "I don't think we even have trees this tall."

I put an arm around her. She was only about half my size, and I'd only known her a month or so, but it already felt so natural. Hell, I'd already almost kissed her, would have if that cheetah hadn't busted in. I felt her paw slip over mine, looked down to see her smiling at me.

"You're still taking me to dinner when all this is done, right?"

"Well, sure, I-" I stopped, slapped myself on the forehead. "Tell me I didn't just walk into that."

She giggled.

"I'm afraid you did," she elbowed me. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."


	23. Chapter 23

"Okay, here's what we got so far," I paced in front of the bed, moving around always helped me think. Carrots and I had stayed on the roof a couple hours after the sun had gone down, just watching the city and the animals in it. We came back in when it started cooling off, and had been holed up in her room ever since. "Someone out there is drugging preds to make them lose it, but we have no idea how they're doing it. And we know they have a grudge against me because so far they've only targeted fans of _my_ band."

She nodded.

"And they found four savage foxes locked up in that asylum; two are reds like you, and two are fennecs, like Finnick," she stopped for a second. "And I know you've probably been thinking this all along, but what if Tony's the one behind this?"

Hearing his name was usually all it took to bring on a panic attack, but this time, I didn't feel anything.

"You're right, I have been thinking that," I climbed on the bed. "But I doubt it. He ended up getting forty years after some big stunt he pulled, and last I heard he was a permanent resident of solitary lock-up."

I felt her eyes on me as I rubbed my chest again, heard the question shoot through her head.

"I noticed you do that a lot, do you have some kind of heart condition?"

And there it was.

"No," I grabbed my collar and pulled it down, showing her the scars that stared me in the face every morning: two long, jagged lines that cut through my fur. "This happened the last time I saw Tony, he hit me so hard he managed to crack my ribs, too."

I swallowed, my mouth dry.

"I-It was right after I found our mom lying in a pool of her own vomit."

She gasped, her paws flying to her mouth.

"Sweet cheese…" she blinked, shaking her head. "I-I'm so sorry, Nick, I-I shouldn't have asked-"

"No, it's fine," I wasn't sure how I was staying so cool about it. "After everything you've put up with, Carrots, you have a right to know."

I dragged in a breath, about to launch in to it when she put a paw on my arm.

"You can tell me all that later, Slick," she tried to smile. "Let's just focus on the case for now. It'll help save a lot of lives, and might even give you some closure."

Even with her eyes watering, she looked so eager, it was hard not to smile back.

"Alright, Fluff, I'll tell you the whole story when this case is over," I leaned closer to her. "But we'd have to have dinner another night, it's not exactly light conversation."

She giggled a bit, but it didn't last long. Her eyes locked on my hair, her other paw slowly reaching up; I grabbed it, bringing it down. Her eyes widened.

"T-That's why you keep your hair long, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I pushed my hair to the side, uncovering another set of scars. They started on my forehead, cutting diagonally across my snout, stopping just before they hit my left eye. "I got them in the same fight, but I still have no idea what he hit me with."

She stared at me.

"But..why? Why would he do that? From what Paul and Mercy have told me, Tony was actually a great guy, but then he just snapped. What on earth could have caused that?"

I shrugged.

"I've been asking myself that for years, Fluff, believe me," I smirked when she yawned, it was just too adorable. "But what do you say we hit the pause button for now? Last I checked, bunnies weren't nocturnal."

She yawned again.

"Not even close, and that gas nap was the best sleep I've had since I started on this case. I don't know how I've managed to keep going this long."

I chuckled, pulling out my phone. It was going on three in the morning.

"And since I have no idea what I might walk into, you mind if I skip heading back to my room tonight?"

She blushed, messing with one of her ears.

"I was actually gonna ask you to stay, anyway," she looked at the wall. "I never liked hospitals, and I'd just feel better if I had a friend with me."

Her ears got darker; she let her head fall against my chest.

"Just sit with me," she muttered. "At least until I fall asleep. Please?"

She looked up at me, doing that thing with her eyes most girls do when they want guys to be completely helpless. I groaned.

"Fine, just put the look away," I would've caved even if she hadn't used it. "Are you trying to kill me?"

She giggled, curling up against me.

"Maybe just a couple of things, like your stubborn streak."

I chuckled again.

"I'm not the only stubborn one here, Fluff."

She moaned, waving a paw in my face before letting it drop.

"You're worse…"

Next thing I knew, she was asleep. She really was running on fumes.

 _I'm right here for you, Carrots,_ I thought. _I promise, I'm not going anywhere._

* * *

We woke up when a nurse yelled down the hall. Apparently, she'd gone into my room, only to find Paul and Mercy doing…whatever the hell they'd done all night. I was still curled around Carrots, who'd been using my tail as a blanket. Doctor Muskrat barged in, looking like she was about to bite my head off.

"I will _not_ tolerate any disturbances in my hospital, Wilde," she snapped. "If I hear about any more of your antics, I will personally throw you in to oncoming traffic. Is that understood?"

I nodded, barely able to keep a straight face.

"Crystal clear, doc."

She glared at me for a minute, then stormed out, most likely to give Paul and Mercy their own earful. I started laughing, Carrots groaning and shoving me.

"Why didn't you _tell_ me Mercy and Paul were in your room?" she asked. "I never would've asked you to stay here if I'd known that!"

I laughed again, tapping her nose.

"And that is exactly why I didn't say anything," I laughed again. "You really think I'd miss a chance to see how _cute_ you look when you sleep?"

She growled, her ears going a shade darker.

" _Don't_ call me _cute_ , Wilde," she snapped. I flopped on my side, looking at my claws.

"You didn't seem to have a problem when Spots called us that yesterday," I glanced up, smirking at the blank, wide-eyed look on her face. "But you were so out of it I doubt you even heard him."

She scoffed.

"You weren't much better off, Slick."

I shrugged.

"Yeah, but at least I could still function, you just sat there like your batteries fell out."

She didn't have anything to say to that. I pushed myself up, looking out the window. It was probably about one in the afternoon by now.

"What do you say we get out of here? That gas doesn't have any long-lasting effects, so we're really just taking up beds now."

She nodded, taking her phone from under the pillow.

"That sounds good, we need to get these videos into evidence, anyway," she looked up at me. "And would you mind dropping me at my place? I don't exactly have a change of clothes lying around here."


	24. Chapter 24

Getting out of All Saints had been a nightmare. The press had swarmed us the second we'd stepped outside, shoving past Ed and Rocco like they hadn't even been there. Not that I'd blamed them for being out of it; my whole security team had been up about two days straight, split between looking for Brandon and helping us hunt down leads.

The reporters had blasted out questions so fast we wouldn't have had time to answer if we'd actually tried to. Mercy had been too busy hiding her face from the cameras, Paul keeping an arm around her as he'd pushed through the crowd. But for every one that'd moved, three more had sprung out of nowhere to take their place.

Most of them had focused on Carrots, asking about the investigation and what the cops planned to do about all the preds going savage. I'd expected her to crack, to just start spitting stuff out to make them split. But she'd kept her cool, saying the same thing whenever she got a word in edgewise.

 _"_ _Mayor Lionheart and Assistant Mayor Bellweather will be holding a press conference in two weeks at Precinct One, I'm afraid I won't have any answers until then."_

Then we'd finally gotten past them, mostly thanks to Paul and me yelling at them to beat it, and it had been hilarious to see them run. I'd told Ed and Rocco to take some time off and get some sleep, they'd earned it. It hadn't taken them long to split.

Now all four of us were back at my place, basically just lazing around in my living room. We'd known finding the missing mammals wouldn't be the end of it, but we had no idea where to even start on finding who was behind it.

"A lot of prey listen to your band," Carrots was lying on the arm of the couch, her ears flopping over the side. "But none of them have been targeted, at least not yet, so maybe the guy behind it is prey, too."

I grunted as I walked past her, tossing a beer to Paul and pushing Carrots onto the cushion.

"Oof!" she glared up at me. "Not funny, Nick!"

I chuckled, sitting next to her.

"I thought it was."

She rolled her eyes, pushing herself upright. I still couldn't believe how quickly she moved, it was pretty mesmerizing. I stopped, shaking the thought away.

"But back to the prey thing, that wouldn't exactly narrow it down," I popped the cap with a claw and took a drag. "If anything, that'd tear the net wide open."

She cringed, reaching for the bottle she'd swiped from my fridge, my last blueberry soda.

"Yeah, I guess it would," she messed with the straw she'd stuck in it. Seriously, who did that? "But whatever species or class they are, they wouldn't have been able to pull this off without _some_ kind of network behind them, it's just too big."

"So, you're thinking they're some kind of criminal?" Mercy was on the floor next to Paul, curled up against him with her head on his shoulder. I had to admit, it was kinda weird to see. Carrots nodded.

"Or they're at least affiliated with the criminal world in some way," she played with the straw again. "I could probably ask one of our undercover agents, but some of them are in pretty deep, and there's no way to know what might actually be helpful in this case."

I was starting to see where this was going, and I had an idea, but I wasn't sure Carrots would like it. I glanced around, my eyes landing on the mirror across the room. All I got was a bright red fox with green eyes staring back at me.

"Nick?"

I jumped. Damn it, I'd spaced out again.

"Sorry," I rubbed my eyes. "Dealing with the press must've taken more out of me than I thought."

"You and me both," Mercy looked at Carrots. "You seemed to handle it pretty well, though, Judy. You sure you've never dealt with that before?"

Carrots shrugged.

"I actually have, a couple times," her ears went a shade darker. "The first time was when I graduated from the academy, and everyone wanted to know how it felt to be the first rabbit officer _and_ valedictorian of my class."

Paul looked at her.

"But how did you get into the academy in the first place? Don't they have certain height and weight requirements?"

She nodded.

"Yes, but the top brass decided it was time to start recruiting smaller mammals, saying some jobs just couldn't be done by a rhino, elephant or wolf. There was actually a ferret in my class, too, but he had to drop out to take care of his family," she smiled. "He said he'd try again next year, though, or whenever the next chance came up."

"But if you were top of your class, why didn't you end up at Precinct One?"

She shrugged.

"I was supposed to, but like I told Nick, I asked to be transferred to my hometown, Bunnyburrow. I wanted to get some field experience before becoming a big city cop."

Paul nodded.

"Makes sense."

Mercy perked up.

"So, does that mean you'll be staying here when this case is over?"

Carrots smiled.

"As soon as the paperwork goes through, yes."

I'd hardly ever seen Mercy so happy. Squealing, she jumped up and hugged the bunny, who laughed before hugging her back.

"Oh, that's so great!" she put Carrots down. "It'll be so much fun having another girl in the gang again!"

Carrots looked at her, then me.

"Again?"

"Our other backup vocalist left a while back," she started. "She and Nick were almost-"

I cleared my throat, slashing a paw across my neck. My glare must've been pretty cold, because she shut right up.

"She was just too much of a diva," Paul cut in. He got up, putting an arm around Mercy's shoulders. "It got to the point where none of us could stand looking at her because of all the shit she pulled. She finally got the message one day and split, hasn't come around since."

"And thank god for it," Mercy snatched his beer and gulped down what was left. "I was about ready to kick her tail out myself!"

We laughed, Carrots just looking lost. She yawned.

"Well, I'm gonna turn in, I still have a lot of sleep to catch up on," she pushed her half-empty soda toward me. "And thanks for letting me stay here, Nick, even if it was kind of against your will."

I couldn't stop myself from smiling, covering her paw with mine.

"That was true at first, but now I wouldn't have it any other way."

She blushed again, slipped to the floor and took off. Paul turned to me when she was finally gone, he and Mercy wearing some of the biggest-ass grins I'd ever seen.

"You know her apartment was all clear last week, right? But you haven't asked her to leave yet."

I sat back, taking another drag.

"I know, I can't explain it," I swirled the bottle a bit. "But it just feels so…right, having her around here."

"It does," Mercy looked toward the hall, then back to me. "So…are you going to tell her how much she really means to you?"

I shook my head.

"I haven't been able to think clearly since this whole thing started, I want to make sure it's actually real and not just my clouded head."

Paul nodded.

"I can understand that," he scratched his ear. It was silent for a while before he glanced at the clock. "Whoa, I should get going, I promised Mom I'd stay with her tonight since my dad's out of town."

Mercy huffed.

"I still can't believe he went on that trip, with everything going on with Trevor and the city!"

He shrugged.

"He didn't really have a choice, Mercy, the trip was already put on hold when Trevor went missing. His boss said that, since Trevor's in an actual hospital now, my dad shouldn't waste his time just worrying," he hugged her. "He and Mom haven't been getting along too well lately, anyway, so he says the trip will give them both some space and time to think."

She didn't look too convinced, but nodded.

"I hope they're able to make up, I've always hated seeing them fight."

He chuckled.

"You and me both."

"And me," I piped up. "I'm still here, you know."

"Sorry, Nick," she flashed a smile. "You just kind of fade into the background sometimes."

I rolled my eyes.

"At least I'm not a walking snowdrift."

All that got me was a pillow to the face. I laughed, holding my paws up.

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth!"

She groaned, then nailed me with the pillow again.

"Better a snowdrift than a tomato, Slick," she dropped the pillow in my lap, dragging Paul out with her. "At I least I've never been mistaken for a traffic cone!"

Paul stopped, staring back at me. He wasn't trying too hard not to laugh.

"Wait, traffic cone?"

Mercy chuckled, rubbing her paws together.

"Have I got a story for you, honey…"


	25. Chapter 25

**Story has new intro, be sure to check it out! =D**

 _O-M-Goodness, Zootopia won the Oscar for best animated feature, I am fangirling so hard right now!_

* * *

 _I growled, throwing my pencil across the room, then slammed my head on my desk._

Stupid algebra!

 _I just sat like that for a while, my ears flicking back when I heard crying. I lifted my head, turning the chair around to see Finnick standing in my doorway, wiping his eyes. Mine narrowed._

 _"_ _What happened, Fin?"_

 _He sniffled, holding the blanket Mom had given him this morning._

 _"_ _I…We cel'brated my birthday at preschool today," he wiped his eyes again. "And some prey kids…tooked the cupcakes and…"_

 _He cried harder. I ran over to him, sitting on my knees in front of him._

 _"_ _What did the prey kids do?" I asked. He looked up at me._

 _"_ _T-They said preds don't get cupcakes," he sniffed. "They dumped the tray on my head, right in front of Miss Whinny!"_

 _He just broke down. I hugged him, trying not to growl. I didn't have to ask which kids it was, we both knew. And I knew that stupid school wouldn't do anything about it. They hadn't for me, either._

 _"_ _Everyone got mad at them," he buried his face in my shirt. "But the other grown-ups still…"_

 _"_ _Shh, hey, hey," I hugged him tighter, then pulled him back. "Those animals didn't know what they were doing, their brains are broken."_

 _He sniffled._

 _"_ _B-Broken?"_

 _I nodded._

 _"_ _Yep, that's why they're so mean, they don't know how to fix 'em," I tried to smile. It was the same thing Mom had always told me. "The problem is a lot of them don't want them fixed, so they spend their whole lives being mean and hurting mammals."_

 _I looked him in the eye, wishing I could do something, anything, to teach them a lesson._

 _"_ _All you can do is not let them see they get to you, and help anyone else they're mean to. Don't take them head-on, okay? That's not good for anyone."_

 _He was finally calming down. He wiped his eyes one last time._

 _"_ _I-I'll be helpful," he said. "I'll be the most helpful fox ever!"_

 _I chuckled._

 _"_ _I know you will," I picked him up. "Now how about we go make some pawpsicles? I saw a whole thing of grape juice in the fridge today, just for us."_

 _He nodded, hugging me._

 _"_ _I love you, Nick."_

 _I smiled, hugging him back._

 _"_ _Love you too, Fin."_

* * *

I couldn't believe it. I'd only been running for twenty minutes, how the hell was I already this tired?

 _You've been slacking off for a month,_ I bent over with my paws on my knees, catching my breath. _You're letting yourself go, Wilde!_

I looked at the sky, the sun had barely started to rise. I'm usually a morning mammal, even weirder for foxes than having zebras for parents. It's not that I hated staying up late, I could go all night without a problem if I wanted to, but there was just something about getting up early that appealed to me. Not that I'd ever tried to figure it out.

I stayed hunched over another minute before straightening, pushing myself harder to make up for lost time. Normally, I'd already be on my way back by now, and I hadn't even reached the end of the trail yet.

 _I should've waited for Carrots to get up,_ I told myself. _Or at least gone with her when she'd asked._

She'd asked more than once, but I'd always had some excuse: had to look something over for the case, had to rehearse a bridge, had to finish my damn laundry. I'd spit out whatever had come to mind first, barely able to think whenever I saw her in that sweet little get-up she called running clothes. Made my mouth water just thinking about it.

"Shit!"

Next thing I knew, I was rolling head over tail, ending up sprawled in a ditch.

"Ow _,"_ I picked myself up. "Guess that's what I get for daydreaming…"

I shook myself off, putting a paw on my forehead; I couldn't help but laugh. Everything that had happened the last two weeks, and tripping over myself is what tears it back open. I pulled my old scout neckerchief from my pocket, I didn't go anywhere without it, and pressed it to the cut. It took forever to walk back, but I wasn't about to call Carrots after I'd been thinking about her like that, and I didn't have my phone on me anyway. When I finally got there, Carrots was already up, sitting on her placemat and typing away at her laptop. I rolled my eyes.

"I've got a table in here, you know."

"I know," she giggled. "But I like sitting here, it's so high up!"

She looked at me, the smile dropping off her face.

"What happened to _you_?"

I shrugged.

"Went for a run and tripped on something, ended up falling in a ditch," I winced as I peeled off the neckerchief; it'd bled more than I thought. "And I just got the stitches out yesterday!"

"Let me take a look," she put her laptop down and hopped to the floor. "You really need to be more careful, Slick."

I scoffed.

"Listen, Carrots, in the last two weeks, I've dealt with savage preds, broke into an old nut house, caught the mayor in a kidnapping scheme and have had every shitty thing in my past come back to bite me in the ass," I don't know why I started ranting, but now I couldn't stop. "And in the middle of all that I ended up cutting my head open on a table, then again on a run because I can't stop thinking about a certain dumb bunny, so I think I've earned the right to be as _un_ -careful as I want."

I was panting when I finished. She stared at me, her eyes wide, her face blank. After a few seconds, she blinked and shook her head.

"Uh… _wow_ ," she threw out a breathless laugh. "I-I wasn't expecting all… _that._ "

I pulled away from her, getting back to my feet.

"Neither was I," I put the neckerchief back on the cut. "I-I'm sorry, Carrots, guess I'm even more stressed than I thought."

"It's fine, Nick," she walked over and put a paw on my arm. "I know how hard all this is on you, and I don't blame you for losing your cool, anyone would in this situation."

I sighed.

"That doesn't really make me feel any better about it, you don't deserve me lashing out at you like that."

She tugged on me.

"I said it's fine, Slick," she looked at my forehead. "Now come on, I'll get that cleaned up for you and then we can have some breakfast. Sound good?"

I stared at her paw as I trailed behind her, my ears heating up as my mind went all the wrong places.

"Y-Yeah," I swallowed. "Sounds good, Carrots."


	26. Chapter 26

_Sorry for the kinda fake-out update last time, but this one's for real!_

* * *

"Ugh, would you stop squirming?"

I pulled my face out of her paws.

"If you'd quit messing with it I wouldn't have to squirm!"

We'd been going back and forth like that for about twenty minutes. She grabbed my snout and pulled me back down.

"I kind of _have_ to mess with it to clean it up," she was deadpan. "So sit still and let me finish!"

I chuckled, throwing my paws up when she let go.

"Okay, I'll stop," I smirked. "It's not my fault you're so easy to mess with!"

She groaned, flicking the cut when she started working on it again.

"Ow!"

She huffed.

"That's what you get, you dumb fox."

I chuckled again, holding still like she wanted me to. I'd had my fun, and now I could just enjoy having her close to me. I hadn't really noticed her scent before; it was kinda earthy and sweet, with something else that just drew me in and trapped me. I wanted to lean closer, to bury my nose in her fur like she'd done to me, but one thought stuck in my head and made me freeze.

 _What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I just make things weird?_

I hadn't missed how her scent hitched the longer she worked on me, but what if that was just her instincts? What if they were just telling her to be careful because there was a pred nearby? I glanced up at her, watching her work. She didn't seem scared, even when I'd been lashing out and going crazy all she'd gotten was worried or pissed. Was she just really good at hiding it? What if-

"Nick?"

I jumped. She was staring at me, wearing that same concerned look I'd seen a hundred times. I felt my ears heat up, drawing them back so she wouldn't see how red they were.

"Huh, what?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I said 'how does that feel?'."

I reached up, tracing the butterfly bandages she'd used to close it.

"Pretty good job, Carrots," I brought my paw down. "Not surprising, though, since you probably have a thousand family members."

She stuck her tongue out at me.

"I do not," she turned away, muttering the rest of it. "It's only nine hundred…"

I laughed.

"Yeah, because that's _so_ much better, Fluff."

"Ugh," she pulled out a gauze pad, slapped it on and taped it down. "You're impossible."

I chuckled.

 _You know you love me._

"What was that?"

She looked down at me. I clamped my mouth shut; shit, had I said that out loud?

"Uh…" I glanced around. "N-Nothing, never mind."

I could tell she wasn't buying it, but I wasn't about to tell her what I had just been thinking. So we just sat there silently, the whole thing just getting more and more awkward.

Until my stomach decided to finally wake up. I curled up a bit, trying to muffle the dying whale that apparently lived there. Carrots just looked at me, then burst out laughing.

"Well, at least _something's_ willing to talk," she said, going stiff when her own gut started up. I didn't bother holding back, either, cracking up more at the angry look on her face. I knew it wasn't really that funny to either of us, I think a lot of it was relief at being pulled out of that stare-off.

"C'mon, Carrots," I got up, putting a paw on her shoulder. "What do you say we get some food before we start on the case?"

She nodded, her paw twitching up a second before she threw it down.

"That sounds real good, Slick," she smiled. "And I'll even cook for you!"

I laughed again.

"Works for me!"

* * *

It took the rest of the morning to figure out we weren't getting anywhere; all our leads had already either been chased down or dried up. Surprisingly, Carrots threw it in first, slamming her laptop shut and throwing herself back against the couch.

"I can't believe we still can't figure this out," she muttered, her paws over her face. I watched the feeds from the few kidnappings that had been caught on camera, hoping to catch some detail on the van we might've missed. But it was always solid black, the side windows painted over, the back and windshield tined so darkly I could barely tell the difference. There hadn't been any plates, tags, or anything that might give us a clue to where it had actually come from. I couldn't be sure it _was_ the same van showing up at each scene.

"All we know is the mayor hired them," I leaned back, rubbing my eyes. She groaned, loudly.

"Yeah, and Fangmeyer and Delgato already took care of that," she let her paws slip to her sides. "None of those guards worked for any kind of company, they were all just predators down on their luck and desperate for a payday."

I barked a dark laugh.

"And boy, did they get one."

All of them were in the slammer now, and I couldn't help but think of all the kits going to sleep without their parents, the mates who'd have to spend every night curled up alone.

"Bet if they'd been prey they would've got off easier," I growled softly. She sighed.

"I know," she dragged herself upright. "It makes me sick that so many predators are still treated so poorly just because of what their teeth and claws look like. It's disgusting!"

I bit back an annoyed retort. I knew she wasn't just saying it, she wasn't like that. I shut down my laptop and put it on the coffee table.

"Well, since it looks like this is a dead end for now, how about I take you around the city?" I got up and stretched. "I doubt you've seen what this place really has to offer."

She shook her head.

"I haven't, but I don't know if I'm up for it," she sat up. "I haven't even been able to get near some areas without getting a bunch of angry looks."

I smirked.

"That's because you haven't been going to any of the _right_ areas," I held out a paw. "Just stick with me, Fluff, and I'll show you the Zootopia this place is supposed to be."

* * *

"Oh, my god, is that Nick Wilde?!"

"What, where?!"

"That's not him, he doesn't dress like that!"

"Why is he hanging out with a _bunny_?!"

It was hard to miss Carrots' face at the comments we got, but I'd heard them so much I was pretty much deaf to them. Well, most of them.

"I don't think I can listen to him now that I know he's into _prey_!"

"Would you shut up already? That's not even him!"

I rolled up the windows and flipped on the AC. It was still easy to hear everything, but at least now we could hear ourselves think over it. I stopped at a red light, glancing over to see her hunched in her seat, her ears dropped behind her head.

"What's eating you?"

She curled up completely, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"I didn't think I'd cause so much trouble for you…"

I hit the gas when the light changed, then pulled into the first parking lot I could find. I put it in park and sat back.

"You really think those comments are trouble, Carrots?" I chuckled. "Half those mammals aren't even sure it's me!"

She looked up at me.

"You heard that one cheetah," she argued. "She said she'd stop listening to you just because she saw you with a bunny!"

I scoffed.

"You really think I care about that?" I turned to her. Even though I had my shades on, she still slinked back. I sighed. "For every fan who says that, there's five more who couldn't give a shit. All they care about is the music."

She perked up a bit, but not much. I took my iPod from my pocket and passed it to her.

"If you just want to sit here for a while, that's fine, but at least pick something to listen to while we do it. I hate sitting around in the quiet."

She giggled a bit, then flicked through my playlists. After a little while, she stopped, looking up at me.

"You like Amelia Weston?"

Amelia had been a country singer, one of many bunnies in the genre, and had basically lived at the top of the charts. I'd almost forgotten she was on there.

"Not so much now," I admitted. "But my mom loved her. I put her favorite album on there after…"

I trailed off, not wanting to bring the mood down. I scratched my ear.

"You a fan?"

"Of course," she smiled, a real one this time. "She was my grandmother."

I gaped at her.

"Are you screwing with me?"

She shook her head.

"You probably remember when she retired to spend more time with her grandkits," she pulled out her phone, flipping through pictures, then held it out to me. "Recognize the one in her lap?"

Amelia was sitting in a big red chair surrounded by who knows how many bunnies, the girl in her lap the spitting image of the one sitting next to me, just a lot younger. I sat back, chuckling.

"Wow, guess you're not shitting me," I glanced at the clock. "But we're wasting daylight here, and I've still got a lot to show you."

She smiled.

"Alright," she set the playlist to shuffle and set it on the dash. "Let's get going, Slick."

I pulled out of the parking lot, my fingers tightening on the wheel when the first song started playing. "Starting Again", my mom's all-time favorite…"

 _"Memories like a faded photograph, locking every door so I can't look back…"_


	27. Chapter 27

"So, how is it so many mammals don't recognize you?"

I glanced at Carrots. We'd just gotten back to my place, chilling in the car as we waited for the rain that had come out of nowhere to stop. I smirked, tugging at the collar of my shirt, one of those Pawaiian ones tourists always wear in bad movies.

"Would _you_ believe anyone in this get-up was the leader of a punk band?"

She looked at it, then cringed.

"Point taken there, but I've seen you on magazine covers and in…ads before," she blushed. "And if I've seen those, I know predators have, so how…"

I pulled up my sunglasses and winked at her.

"These aren't just a fashion statement, Carrots. There aren't many foxes with green eyes," I went on. "And most of us have to wear these during the day, anyway, so without my usual threads, most mammals can't tell it's me until I take them off."

She drew back, getting that thoughtful look on her face.

"Huh, so you're famous but…kind of not at the same time? I mean, the way you explain it, you might as well be two different mammals."

I shrugged, leaning over to stash my shades in the glovebox.

"Yeah, I guess, but I never really thought about it," I sat back, putting a paw behind my head. "To be honest, I kinda like it this way. Sure, I still get stalked by the press, but it's not nearly as bad as it is for some mammals. It's the same with everyone else in the band, as soon as we're off the stage, we just blend in."

I chuckled.

"Of course, it helps a lot of our fans actually dye their fur to look like us, we've gotten out of quite a few scrapes thanks to mix-ups like that."

Her eyes narrowed; I threw up my paws.

"Don't look at me like that, we always made sure no one got hurt, and they always got backstage passes for helping us out. I'm not the selfish egomaniac half the press makes me out to be," I brought my paws down. "Well, not _as_ bad, anyway."

She giggled.

"No, you're not quite an egomaniac, but you're still full of yourself," she brushed a paw over her ears. "But at the same time, you're pretty humble, and you can be really nice and…"

She trailed off again, staring out the windshield. The rain had slowed down, but it looked like it was gonna stick around a while. She swallowed, tucking her paws under her.

"And since Mercy's still staying with Paul at his parents', I was wondering if you and I could do something tonight. You know…together?"

I tried not to look too excited, wishing I'd kept my shades on. At least then I'd be able to hide _something_ from her.

"Uh, sounds great," I rubbed the back of my head. "What did you have in mind?"

She shifted in her seat, still sitting on her paws.

"Well, Mercy told me about this movie all of you guys were in, before the band really got big," she looked up at me. "And Paul let me borrow his copy, so I was thinking we could watch that, maybe?"

It took me a second to figure out what she was talking about. Our first real gig had been doing the soundtrack for a B-list mind-screw, then when some of the actors dropped out, we'd ended up taking their places, too. As far as I know, Paul was the only one who'd kept the copy each of us had gotten when it was all said and done. I haven't even thought about it since the festival it had premiered at.

"Uh, sure, if you think you can handle it," the end result had been enough to give _me_ nightmares for a week. "I haven't watched it in a while, but I remember it's not too easy on the stomach."

She snorted.

"Come on, Slick, it's B-list, how bad can it possibly be?"

* * *

It ended up being even worse than I'd remembered. Pretty much every scene had blood spraying or splashing, the lights flickering, catching everything in just the right way to make anyone watching it shudder. Carrots wasn't much better off, having jumped in my lap before the first scene had ended. She could only watch a few seconds at a time before having to bury her face in my shoulder again, not that I was complaining much.

But she wouldn't let me turn it off, turning to the screen just in time for one of the worst scenes to start. Mercy's character was strapped down on a busted operating table, fighting and crying as she stared at the tray of rusty tools. It was the first time we saw the killer, a completely bald, hunched-over alpaca, most of his skin so scarred and burnt it was amazing he could even move.

 _"I've told you time and again not to fight, my dear,"_ his voice was even creepier, like dead leaves getting blown through a creaky gate. We could hear the slobber that filled his mouth with every word, adding a wet hiss that just about made me shit myself the first time I heard it. _"But, you've gone and broken the rules again, and you_ know _what happens to those who break my rules…"_

I shuddered again; he just sounded _way_ too damn happy, no matter what happened or what he was saying. Carrots looked away when he grabbed the first tool from the tray, a needle that looked like it was full of tar.

 _"I_ do _understand that you're scared, but you_ must _know_ I _am the only one who can help you,"_ the shot focused on the needle, the picture going in slo-mo as it got closer to her skin. The voice stayed the same, though, his next words still enough to shoot ice down my back. _"I shall make you see like you never have before, you and your friends will be better than you could have ever dreamed."_

The camera panned out again, behind him as he leaned over her, the twisted excuse for a smile clear in his voice.

 _"I am going to make you all so much closer, you will get to know them in ways you never thought possible."_

The screen blacked-out, her scream echoing, getting deeper and more distorted before finally dying down. Carrots shivered, grabbing my arm when I started going for the remote.

"Don't even think about it," her face was still buried in my shirt. I rolled my eyes, but sat back.

"I don't know what you think you're trying to prove, Fluff," I looked down at her. "You've barely been watching since it started, but you've already made it through more than most of the cast did when they watched it."

She just sat there a while before groaning, pushing her head up. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"I don't want to give you the satisfaction of being right," she admitted. "You'd never let me hear the end of it."

I cocked a brow at her.

"If this were anything else, you'd be right, especially since I warned you about what you were getting in to," I held up a paw when she glared at me. "But like I said, this thing's been too much for pretty much everyone, so no one would care if you didn't prove yourself this time."

She looked at me, still not believing me. I flashed a small smile, both of us jumping when the next bolt of lightning came. It hadn't even faded when the thunder started, sounding like a skyscraper had just toppled. Carrots curled into an even smaller ball, shaking like a leaf.

That was also when the lights decided to crap out, leaving it pitch black until my night vision kicked in. She started whimpering, her claws just about tearing my shirt she gripped it so tightly. I couldn't stop myself from hugging her, silently hoping she was too freaked out to notice how fast my heart was going.

"Shh, it's okay, Fluff," I lightly nuzzled the top of her head, just like Mom had done to me when I'd been scared. "I'm not too fond of thunder, either, but it's just noise, it can't hurt you."

She didn't answer, but her shaking seemed to slow down a bit. I glanced at the TV, still black and silent.

"And since it looks like the power's not coming on any time soon, what do you say we hit the hay?"

She sniffled a bit before nodding, still not taking her head from my shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, okay," she opened one eye, glancing up at me. "But…Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"C…Could you maybe s-stay with me tonight? A-At least until I fall asleep?"

I felt my ears heat right up; I dropped them back, even though it was way too dark for her to see.

"Uh, sure, if you want," I scratched my cheek, waiting for her to climb off, but she just closed her eye and snuggled closer to me. I smirked a bit. "You're gonna make me carry you all the way to your room, aren't you?"

She moaned softly, nodding.

"Mmm-hmm."

I chuckled.

"You sneaky little bunny."

She smiled a bit, her eyes still closed.

"You big," she yawned. "Gullible fox…"

I chuckled again, getting to my feet. I grunted a bit, shifting my hold on her.

 _Lot heavier than she looks,_ I looked down at her, smoothing a paw over her ears. _She's pretty solid. Must be all that cop training._

It was even darker upstairs, most of the windows in rooms I kept closed off. Hers was across the hall from Mercy's, right next to mine. I rolled my eyes.

 _She did that on purpose, freaking wolf._

I slipped in and, carefully as I could, laid her out on the bed. I realized she was already asleep, which didn't surprise me as much as I thought it would. She must be losing more sleep over this case than she let on. The rain fell even harder outside; she flinched when the thunder started again, covering her head with her arms. I could only imagine how much louder it was with her hearing.

"It's okay, Carrots," I grabbed the blanket she'd probably kicked aside this morning and pulled it over her. I brushed her cheek, feeling those old claws marks again. My eyes narrowed. "Nothing can hurt you, not while I'm around."


	28. Chapter 28

_This chapter has a lot of F-bombs, just saying that now._

* * *

"Hey, stop right there!"

"I'm not leaving without her!"

"Put the weapon down!"

I snapped awake as the shouting got worse, Carrots half-way to the door before I'd even moved. I'd passed out on the foot of her bed, curling up to keep as much space between us as possible.

"Hurry up, Nick," she threw the door open, barely glancing back at me. "Ugh, I don't have time to wait for your lazy tail!"

She ran out at full tilt, and when my brain finally clicked into place I bolted after her. Only to skid to a stop when I was what was going down outside.

Ed and Leo, the newest member of my detail, were facing down a dark gray wolf who looked like he'd just clawed his way out of his own grave. Both his ears were torn and bleeding, fur ripped out in chunks, his ripped up clothes covered in mud. He had an arm around Mercy's neck, a gun shoved against her head. And not one of the little tranq ones most mammals with permits carted around. This monster looked brand new, and the crazy look in his eyes told all of us he was ready to use it. He stared past everyone else, those insane yellow eyes stopping on me. He snarled, some of his teeth cracked or missing completely.

 _"_ _You_ ," he aimed that gun at me, clutching it so tightly his arm shook. "You think you can get away with stealing my girl, you fucking piece of shit?!"

I heard Carrots gasp, putting a paw on her shoulder as I walked past her.

"It's okay, Fluff," I whispered to her. "I got this."

I turned to Ed and Leo, who each had their own guns trained on him. I patted Ed's side, the highest I could reach.

"It's alright, boys," I couldn't remember the last time I'd used that tone. I held up a paw. "Stand down."

I glanced back at them, saw the gleam in the lion's eyes and the confusion in the grizzly's. But they both listened, bringing their guns down and stepping back. I nodded, turning back to the wolves.

"So, you must be the Brandon I've heard so much about," I said smoothly. He snarled again.

"Didn't you hear me, motherfucker?" he turned the gun on me. "I said stay back!"

I stopped, held up my paws.

"I'm not coming any closer, Brandon," I said calmly. "And none of us want to hurt you, we just want you to let Mercy go."

He stared at me, then laughed.

"You really think I believe that, you fucking _fox_?" he asked. "I couldn't trust you as far as I could throw you!"

Carrots gasped behind me, I threw down a paw to keep her there.

"You're certainly one to talk about trust, you monster!" she shouted. She tried to push past me, but I shoved her back.

"Chill out, rabbit," I snapped at her. I turned my head just enough for her to catch my glare. "Let me handle this, I know what I'm doing."

I looked at Ed, the lion drawing back.

"If she tries anything else, hold her down."

He gaped at me, then snapped his mouth shut and nodded.

"U-Understood, sir."

"Good," I turned back to Brandon, putting my easy smirk back into place. He tightened his grip on Mercy's neck, his eyes darting all over the place. They were bloodshot, his pupils flipping between dilated and slits. No wonder he was acting so stupid.

"I never tried to take Mercy from you, Brandon," I told him. I glanced at her. "She's like a sister to me, always has been. I was just trying to help her out."

I took half a step closer, keeping my paws up and my voice even.

"She just needed some space," I went on. "Time to figure things out. You can understand that, right?"

The gun wavered, his shaking getting worse. Whatever he was on, it looked like it was wearing off. I inched closer, my throat tightening when I heard Mercy whimper. I swallowed.

"She never meant to hurt you, she just wants you to get help. The question is," I paused, staring right in his eyes. "Would you be willing to do that for her?"

The whole time I'd been talking to him, he'd looked more and more unsure, confused. For a second, it even looked like he'd listen, the gun coming down a fraction of an inch. But then it snapped back up, his eyes filled with rage.

"Fuck you, fox," he growled. A tight smirk flashed on his face. "Nice try, but all that smooth-talking bullshit won't work on me, I know what your kind are like."

He slammed the gun back against her head; she cried out, trying harder to get away from him.

"I'm taking Mercy back with me, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it, now or ever," his eyes narrowed, the gun snapping back toward me. "Say goodnight, fox."

His finger tightened on the trigger, but I didn't stay still long enough to see him actually pull it. I leapt at them, grabbing his wrist and snapping it down. I kicked the gun aside when it dropped to the ground, twisting his arm behind him. He cried out, letting Mercy go to focus on fighting me. I was only half his size, but I was faster, and my head was a hell of a lot clearer. I grabbed his other arm when he tried to claw at me, kicking his foot out from under him.

He landed hard on the ground, still fighting against me. He threw his head back, slamming it into my nose. I was stunned just long enough for him to throw me off, his eyes wild as he jumped to all fours. I froze when he growled, stalking toward me like a mammal possessed. His eyes were slits, just like Trevor's had been, his teeth bared as he leapt to tear my throat out.

And just like Trevor, he faltered in mid-air, yelping as he landed wrong on one of his paws. He dropped to the ground, a dart in his side, his breath harsh as he whimpered in pain. I let out the breath I'd forgotten I was holding as his eyes glazed over, looking up to see everyone running toward me, Carrots in the lead with a dart gun the size of her head.

"Nick!" she dropped to her knees next to me. "You're bleeding!"

I winced as she put a paw to my nose, her fingers coming back red. I pulled the old neckerchief from my pocket, holding it in their place.

"I'm all good, Carrots," I smiled at her. "You really need to quit saving my tail like this, you're ruining my reputation!"

She rolled her eyes, punching my shoulder. Then she hugged me.

"I'm just glad you're still around to _have_ a reputation," she nuzzled my neck. "You really scared me there, Slick!"

"I know," I leaned forward, hugging her back. "I-I just flashed back to the night Trevor went savage, I-I just froze!"

She pulled away, smiling up at me.

"But you did a great job staying in control of the situation," her smile grew a bit. "And that was an excellent tackle, where'd you learn to maneuver like that?"

I chuckled, hauling her up when I got to my feet.

"I told you, my old man was a PI, he taught me some things."

She chuckled, then hugged me again.

"And I'm so glad he did."

"Me, too," Mercy came up, swiping at her eyes. "T-Thank you, Nick, y-you saved…"

She broke down, knocking me back on my tail when she jumped at me. Carrots laughed, stepping back to give us some space.

"Oh, Nick," Mercy sobbed into my shirt. "I'm so sorry, I-I wasn't…I-I never meant to…I'm so sorry!"

I didn't say anything, just hugged her back, letting her get it all out. When she finally started calming down, I pulled away, taking her shoulders.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," I said. "But how the hell did he find you here in the first place?"

She wiped her eyes again, sniffling.

"P-Paul went to run errands with his mom today, s-so I thought I'd come back here. I borrowed Paul's car and…" she took a deep breath. "Brandon must have followed me here, b-but I don't know…"

I shook my head, turning to Ed and Leo, the two of them looking sheepish.

"How did he get past the cameras?" I demanded. "How did all of you miss him coming?"

Leo glanced around, messing with his phone.

"T-That's actually what we were about to come up and tell you, sir," he started. "A-All the cameras, they just went full static, not even sound. A-And maintenance just told me the gate was wide open, someone must have cut the power to it after Mercy drove in!"

I couldn't stop the growl that slipped out.

"And you're telling me a drugged up wolf managed to make it past two grizzlies, a polar bear and a lion? How the hell does that happen?!"

Leo gulped, Ed putting a paw on his shoulder. I felt bad for snapping at the kid, but he had to understand how serious this was. Ed narrowed his eyes at me.

"Max and Jeremy never showed up this morning," he said. "They went home after their shift last night and have been off-line ever since. Neither of us have been able to reach them."

He pulled his phone from his pocket.

"And Rocco had a family emergency, he's been at the hospital with his daughter all morning," he flicked through something. "One of her friends apparently gave her some kind of candy, and she just started going crazy after she ate it."

He stiffened, his face going white as he turned to stare at Brandon. Carrots had cuffed him, Leo hovering close by as she talked to someone at the precinct. Ed swallowed.

"Just like this guy…"


	29. Chapter 29

Well, that hadn't been what I'd expected to hear. Carrots dug through Brandon's pockets, eventually pulling out a little bag full of pills.

"Does Rocco know what that candy looked like," she held it out to Ed. "Was it similar to this?"

The lion knelt down to get a closer look at it, shoving his mane out of his face. He shook his head.

"I don't think he saw it, he didn't say anything about it, at least," he stood, jerking a thumb toward Brandon. "But since his daughter was acting like Mr. Tough Guy over there, I wouldn't be surprised if they were."

Carrots swayed a bit, probably would've toppled if Leo hadn't caught her.

"You okay there, Miss Judy?" he still sounded nervous. She pressed a paw to her head, taking a few deep breathes before straightening.

"Yes, Leo, thank you," she smiled up at him, then turned back to her phone. "It'll be about thirty minutes before anyone's able to get here from the precinct, so it looks like we've got some time to figure this out."

"Or at least try to," Ed sat on the porch steps. "I'm actually wishing you hadn't darted that dumbass, Judy, we could've gotten the source right from the wolf's mouth."

Carrots tucked the bag in her pocket and picked up the dart gun she'd dropped, pawing it to Leo.

"Maybe, but there's really no way to know. He could've bought them, but he also could've swiped them or even just found a bag of them lying on the ground somewhere," she shook her head. "We won't know anything until the labs are able to test them."

She walked over to me and Mercy, leaving Leo alone by Brandon. From how the wolf was snoring, it didn't seem like he'd be waking up any time soon.

"What about you, Mercy?" she pulled the bag back out. "Have you seen pills like these before?"

Mercy barely glanced at them before shaking her head.

"I'm not into the whole drug scene," she said. "I can't even tell a blunt from a cigarette. But they are a nice color, I think I'd remember seeing something like that before."

Carrots tossed the bag to me as Mercy got up.

"What do you think, Nick?"

I shifted the bag in my palm. Something bit at me when I looked at them, but it wasn't exactly recognition.

"No," I tossed them back to her. "I did mess around with drugs a few years ago, but I've never seen these before."

I pulled the neckerchief from my nose, sighing when I saw the bleeding had stopped. I stood up and brushed myself off.

"But I can tell you this wasn't just a big coincidence," I went over and grabbed the gun I'd made Brandon drop. It was about as long as my forearm, the serial number filed cleanly off. I looked closer at it, and couldn't stop myself from laughing. "Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me…"

Everyone stared at me like I'd just lost my mind. Carrots facepalmed.

"You were about to tell us your _genius_ little theory, Slick," she dragged her paw down her face. "And I fail to see what's so funny about it! He could've killed us!"

"Oh, I don't think so," I chuckled again, hefting the gun and aiming at a tree. I tried pulling the trigger, smirking when it didn't move. "Dumbass didn't even turn the safety off."

Carrots facepalmed again.

"Sweet cheese and crackers!"

* * *

"So at least we finally have an idea of how preds are getting drugged," I laid back on the couch. Carrots' fellow cops had come and gone, taking Brandon's still-snoring ass with them after we'd spilled about the pills he'd had. She'd gone with them, since unlike us, she still had a job to do. "Now we just have to find out how they're making this stuff, and where."

"A 'who' would be nice, too," Mercy spoke up. She was wrapped around Paul again; the glare glued to the cat's face was not something I was used to seeing. "We can't exactly solve this if we don't have anyone to look for."

Paul growled, pulling Mercy closer to him.

"I say we just beat it out of that piece of shit wolf next time we see him."

I sighed, pushing myself up.

"As much as I'd love to do that, buddy, I have a feeling that wouldn't get us anywhere," I gingerly pressed a paw to my nose, wincing. "And as much of a scumbag as that guy is, I doubt he's got the brainpower to be part of something this big. I'm actually surprised he's smart enough just to buy drugs."

Paul looked at Mercy.

" _Why_ exactly did you get with him again?"

She shook her head.

"I have no freaking idea."

I rolled my eyes as they slipped into la-la land, heading to my room before it got any worse. It was hard to believe those two had never hooked up before; I shook my head to get the forming image out of my mind.

 _Okay, that's enough of that!_

I flopped on my bed, taking out my phone and flipping through the pictures; I'd been transferring some of them since I got my first cell. I froze at one of them, not bothering to blink back the tears. Our last family trip before everything had started going to shit. I didn't remember the name of the theme park we'd gone to, but it had been one of few places where it didn't matter what species or class you were, even if you were a fox with zebras for parents.

Finnick had been standing on Mom's shoulder, me sitting on Dad's, both of us with a fist in the air and a big, laughing smile. Tony had been too big for either of them to pick up by then, so he'd stood between them. They'd both had an arm around his shoulders, his smile the only one that looked forced. I shuddered; even now I could feel how cold his eyes had been afterward. But it had still taken me years to figure out just how he really felt about me. I sniffled, flicking past it.

The next picture was a lot more recent, back when we'd first started the band. Trevor and I had been twenty, Mercy nineteen, Paul seventeen. I traced a claw over the other two mammals, my throat tightening as my eyes lingered on one of them. Everything boiled up again: the love, the happiness, the betrayal that'd ended it. I swiped at my eyes with my sleeve, putting my phone to sleep and tossing it aside. Now was not the time to think about any of that, no matter how much it hurt to keep it buried. The last thing any of us needed right now was _that_ can or worms blowing up in our faces. It had waited this long, it could wait until the case was over, when I was finally able to think clearly again.

I just hoped I'd be able to hold out for that long.


	30. Chapter 30

_"_ _Hey, Mom?"_

 _"_ _Hmm?" she looked down at me. She'd just put Fin down for his nap, and now I was helping her make dinner. Dad was out of town again, and Tony was camping with his troop._

 _"_ _Why'd you adopt me and Fin?"_

 _She hummed again, cutting up the potato I'd peeled and dropping the pieces in a big pot on the stove._

 _"_ _Your father and I always wanted children," she said. "But it turned out to not be easy for us, it happens that way sometimes. Your brother was a miracle, and after he was born, we decided we'd do whatever we could to help children who've lost their parents."_

 _"_ _Like me?" I didn't know a lot about my other mom and dad, just that a lot of stuff had happened that made it impossible for them to keep me. She nodded, putting a hoof on my cheek._

 _"_ _You were the first kit we saw in your orphanage, Nicky, and from that moment, we knew you were going to be our son," she smiled, then nuzzled my head. I groaned, running my paws over my fur._

 _"_ _Mom!"_

 _She chuckled, then went back to the pot. I picked up a carrot and started peeling it, watching the pieces fall on my little cutting board._

 _"_ _What about Fin?"_

 _She stopped smiling, staying quiet for a long time._

 _"_ _It was a little more complicated with Finnick, I'm afraid," she swallowed, and I started wishing I'd hadn't asked in the first place. I didn't like seeing her sad. "He was left at the school where I work, with a note that said his mother wanted me to look after him."_

 _The peeler slipped from my paw. I stared up at her._

 _"_ _His mom just…left him there?"_

 _She nodded._

 _"_ _Not every mother is ready when she has her first baby," she explained. "Sometimes she's too young, or something terrible happened, and she needs someone else to look after her baby. Sometimes it's just for a while, and sometimes it's forever; in the end it's up to her to decide what's best, and unfortunately, sometimes that can mean giving them up."_

 _She turned to me, putting her hooves on my shoulders._

 _"_ _But that doesn't mean she doesn't love them, I want you to understand that, Nicolas."_

 _I gasped; she and Dad almost never used my full name. She looked at me, her smile gone again._

 _"_ _Do you understand?"_

 _I looked back at her, then nodded._

 _"_ _Yeah, I understand," I reached up and hugged her. "Thanks for picking us, Mom."_

* * *

We didn't see Carrots much until the press conference. Bogo had her and about half the force looking in to all the known drug houses in the city, trying to find something about those pills. Paul and I had gotten the same idea, except we'd gone to places where the cops had never thought to look. Eventually, we found out the street name for them: Baby Blues.

And that's about it. A lot of mammals had recognized them, but not even the few who sold them knew where they actually came from. One of them had even claimed the bags had just showed up at his place, with some kind of note saying they'd be the next big thing. Of course, he didn't have it on him, but I had managed to convince him to get it for us. It had been typed, printed on paper you could pick up anywhere, so basically a dead end.

There hadn't been any hits on Mercy's end, either. She'd been keeping an eye on Furbook, looking for any preds who liked our band to see if that old code showed up on their page. The closest she'd gotten was an old Navy vet using the code we'd based it on.

And now the four of us were sitting in the precinct, barely listening to the recap Bogo was giving of the case and filling in the press on the state of the mammals we'd found. Most of the reporters shouting questions were prey, but there were a few preds hanging out at the back of the crowd. They'd swarmed us when we'd first come in, asking if Trevor was the only reason we'd decided to help, or if the rumors that I was the perp's main target were true. They'd gone back to the crowd when the chief walked up, even if they didn't do much talking.

"Oh, I am so nervous…"

Carrots got up and bounced on her feet, pacing around as she waited for the chief to call her up. According to her, the labs had run every test they could think of on those pills, and all they had been able to prove was they were the reason preds were going savage, but nothing about how they actually worked; it wasn't a drug any of them had seen before. I still had that weird feeling biting at me, like I was supposed to know more about what was going on, but I just couldn't figure out why.

I grabbed her arm when she walked past me for the tenth time, flashing a smile.

"Calm down, Fluff. You've seen our interviews, just do what I do."

She looked at me.

"You mean that 'answer a question with a question' thing? Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"Trust me, it works."

She glanced past me. Paul shrugged.

"I've done it a few times, it puts you more in control of the conversation, so it should help you keep your cool."

She sighed, turning back to me.

"You guys should be up there with me, we did this together."

"Oh, no," Mercy laughed. "This is your moment, Judy, go show them how awesome the ZPD's first bunny is."

Carrots nodded, crossing her fingers before walking to the stage. Bogo talked for another minute before motioning for her to take his place at the podium; the questions were flying before she even reached the microphones.

"Officer Hopps, Officer Hopps! What can you tell us about the animals going savage?"

She floundered a second, glancing at us before taking a breath to steady herself.

"A-Are the victims in question all different species?" she looked back to the crowd. "Y-Yes, yes they are."

"Is it true that no prey animals have gone savage?"

She nodded.

"As of right now, that is accurate, yes."

"Why?" one of the smaller reporters jumped up. "Why is this happening?"

She wrung her paws for a second, then cleared her throat.

"We still don't know exactly why this is happening, or why it's only been predators so far," she ran a paw over her head. "But I can assure you, we here at the ZPD will not stop until we have found a cure for those inflicted and the mammals responsible for this are in custody."

She turned back to us, flashing a big smile.

"Of course, I never would have gotten this far without Nick, Paul and Mercy," she held out a paw to us. "Their assistance has been invaluable, and I am proud to call them all my friends."

I had to stop my tail from wagging; play it cool, Wilde, play it cool. I glanced outside, my fur standing on end when something gleamed on a roof across the street. I turned back to the crowd, but Paul beat me to it.

"Everybody get down!"

Everything went in slow motion. I heard glass shatter, Carrots' gasp when she toppled, her head cracking against the stage. Next thing I knew, I was next to her, dropped on my knees and cradling her.

"Judy…"

I ran my paws over her, heaving a sigh when I didn't find anything, it looked like the shot had completely missed her. Bogo was shouting orders, the reporters shaking on one side of the stage as officers ran past the other. It felt like way too long before Carrots moved, groaning as she curled into me.

"N-Nick…"

She grabbed my shirt, shaking a bit. I looked back up at the chief, who was standing over us with a worried scowl on his face.

"She's fine, sir," I hugged her closer to me. "She's just dazed."

Relief flashed through his eyes before he turned back to his team, shouting to find whoever had fired at her. I turned to the wall, seeing the hole in one of the ZPD banners; if it had been any closer, it would have torn right through her head.

I shuddered at the thought, burying my nose in her neck and not caring who saw me. I took in her scent, willing my heart to slow down before it tore out of my chest. She was still alive, and I was going to do whatever I had to to keep it that way.


	31. Chapter 31

Carrots hung onto me the whole time she was being looked at; she had a nasty lump on the head from her fall, but thankfully that was it.

"Um, did you forget the fact you were just shot at?!" I barely kept myself from shouting it. She rolled her eyes and pushed away from me.

"Of course not," she straightened herself out. "But it's not a big deal, they missed, didn't they?"

"Not a big-!" I jumped up, my mouth hanging open. What the hell was going on with her? "Carrots, you almost died!"

" _Almost_ being the key word here, Slick," she turned to me. "And it can only mean we're on the right track. We're close to the bottom of this, and whoever's in charge doesn't want us getting there."

She hopped off the stage and went to talk to another cop, but I didn't look long enough to see which one. My tail dragged behind me as I went back to Paul and Mercy, who just sat there looking stunned. He stared after her, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he could finally talk.

"She really doesn't care, does she?" he stared after her. I shook my head.

"I don't think it's that, not entirely," I shoved my paws in my pockets. It was better than messing with them like a scared old lady. "She's seen all our interviews, read everything ever put in print about us, I know what she's trying to do."

Mercy looked at me.

"And that would be-?"

I shrugged, turning to Carrots. Her ears and tail were perked and she stood tall, but I could see her shoulders shaking, as much as she tried to hide it. I sighed.

"She's doing what I've always said," I turned back to them. "She's not letting anyone see that it got to her."

Paul barked a shocked laugh. It was really the only reaction to have.

"Almost getting sniped is a lot worse than just dealing with some jerk on the street," he started. "I think she's allowed to have more of a reaction than that."

I scoffed, jerking my head toward her.

"Try telling her that."

"Wilde!"

I jumped. Bogo was standing over me, looking like I'd just personally insulted him. He nodded toward the stairs.

"Come with me."

I glanced at Paul and Mercy, who just shrugged before waving my on. I didn't bother looking for Carrots before following the chief, I wasn't sure how I'd react if she tried brushing it off again. He led me to his office, shut the door behind me, and pointed at the chair in front of his desk.

"Have a seat."

I climbed up while he went around to his own chair, staring at me the whole time. My eyes were going anywhere but, my tail twitching as I scratched the back of my head.

"Uh, sir," I cringed when my voice cracked. I cleared my throat. "You know I'm not an officer, right?"

He waited a while before he said anything, tapping his fingers together like he was some kind of evil genius testing his latest death ray.

"I'm aware," his voice was flat as always. His eyes narrowed. "But I've also read your file and I know what you can do."

Okay, if I wasn't lost before, I was now.

"Sir?"

He sighed.

"After what happened today, I should be taking Hopps off this case," he started. "But I already know nothing short of arresting her would keep her from investigating on her own, so I've decided to keep her on, under one condition."

My ears dropped, I did not like where this was going. He just sat there for a long time; he must really love drawing out the tension.

"You stay by her side at all times," he finally said. "I've read your file, and while you may have gained those skills through…unconventional means, I don't doubt you'd be able to defend her."

I just stared at him, shaking my head to shut my thoughts up.

"I've already got a whole team for that kind of thing," I said. "And there are any number of cops you could pick to do this, so why ask me?"

He put his hooves on the desk and leaned over it; I tried not to make it obvious when I shrank back.

"Because you're the only one she'd never try to break away from. She trusts you, Wilde," he leaned back, and I could've sworn he almost smirked for a second. "Even if I can't exactly see why."

I let a nervous laugh slip out; I knew exactly what he was talking about, and I wasn't about to let Carrots get wind of it. I cleared my throat again.

"If that's what you want me to do, chief, then I'll do it," I ran a paw over my head, grabbing the fur on the back of my neck. "And since I'm here, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about…"

* * *

"As if this wasn't already complicated enough…" Paul threw his head back against the seat. "Now we've got _two_ ways they're making preds lose it."

I shook my head, leaning forward.

"It's been two ways from the start," I told him. "We just didn't realize it until now."

"But why do it like that?" Mercy asked. "Why dart some of the victims but drug others?"

I sat back.

"Whoever's in charge is an opportunist," I said. "They probably figured one way wouldn't always work, so they came up with another to get the job done. And now they get switched out depending on the situation."

I glanced at Carrots. She was hugging herself, curled up and staring out the window like she'd been since we got in the car. I leaned over and put a paw on her shoulder. I hadn't told any of them about Bogo's little order, or what we'd talked about after, and I wasn't about to. At least not yet.

"We're still here if you need to talk, Fluff," I flashed a smile, but she never moved. It was like she'd completely lost touch with reality. I pulled away, taking out my phone and firing off some texts. "I think our next stop should be the hospital, I want to make sure Zariah's okay."

"Right," Paul U-turned at the next light, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "You thinking Zariah or her friend were targeted?"

I shook my head. Zariah had just started third grade, way out of the age range our perp usually went after.

"That was probably just a fluke, but hopefully someone there will be able to tell us where her friend got those pills."

Visiting hours were over when we got there, and with Carrots pretty much catatonic, we were stuck waiting in the lobby for Rocco and the rest of his family. I could feel the glares following my every move, heard the high and mighty whispers from preds and prey alike. But none of that mattered right now, all I wanted to do was be there for the animals I cared about.

"Unckie Nick!"

I was bowled over by a sandy blur; Rocco's baby girl, Yumiko.

"H-Hey there, kiddo," I grunted, trying to get the breath she'd knocked out of me; she was almost four, but already just an inch shorter than me. She curled into my chest before getting up, her favorite pink jumper wrinkled like she'd slept in it.

"Unckie Nick, t-they won't let me see Zury!"

I picked myself off the floor. That didn't surprise me.

"I know," I put my paws on her shoulders. "It's not really fair, is it? But you know they have a reason to."

She shook her head.

"They're just big meanies," she growled. "I wanna see my sister!"

"And you will," I took her face in my paws, hating the tears in her big brown eyes. I tried to smile. "It'll just take some time, okay, sweetheart?"

She sniffled, staring at me before nodding. I smiled again.

"That's my girl," I smoothed the fur on her cheeks; it was dry and matted. "Now, no more tears, okay? I need you to be brave for your sister, can you do that for me?"

She rubbed her nose, then nodded again.

"Awesome, and what's this?" I reached behind her ear, pulling out one of her favorite suckers. "Now, how on earth did _that_ get back there?"

She swiped at her eye, giggling as I pawed it to her. I kissed her forehead, silently hoping Roc's wife wouldn't go off on me for "encouraging her little girl to get cavities". The woman was psycho about it, I swear. I looked up when a shadow fell over us; Rocco's thousand-yard stare was on full display, his eyes red, his mane all over the place.

"I can't believe this," his mouth barely moved. "M-My baby girl…"

Guilt clawed at me, but I didn't say anything. I mean, what _could_ I say? But in the end, I didn't have to.

"How come Mommy gets to stay with her?" Yumiko glared up at him. "How come you and her could see her?"

Hearing her seemed to snap him out of it, at least partially. He knelt, his eyes watering.

"Y-You're just too young, sweetheart," he said. "And neither of us want you to see her like that."

He took her paw and pulled her to him, glancing at me over her head. The rage I'd expected wasn't there, just sadness and exhaustion. I stepped back to give them some space, turning to see Carrots was still out of it and Mercy with her face buried in Paul's shoulder. None of them would look at me, and I didn't blame them. I couldn't.

"Nick."

I turned back to Rocco. He still looked like he was about to fall apart, but I could see that fire in him again, the determination that made him such a great guard and friend. I swallowed, hoping my voice wouldn't crack.

"Yeah?"

He was quiet a minute, then blew out a sigh.

"I'll answer any questions you have, I'll do whatever it takes to help Zariah."

I walked up and put a paw on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," I glanced at Yumiko; she'd fallen asleep. "But let's do it back at my place, I've still got a spare room I can set you guys up in."

He nodded, cradling her as he got back to his feet.

"Thank you."

I tried to smile.

"Any time."


	32. Chapter 32

It took a couple hours, and a few shots, before Rocco was ready to talk. Mercy was looking after Yumiko, Paul and me sitting across from him in the den, just waiting for him to start. He gulped, rolling the empty glass between his paws, staring at it like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

"I-It was a few nights ago," he started. "I was helping Zariah with her homework when she started acting like…like she was sick…"

Paul leaned forward a bit, I tried not to smirk at the pen and notebook in his lap. He'd always been crazy about note-taking.

"Sick how?"

Rocco sat there for a while, his eyes darting to the bear-sized tequila bottle I'd left on the table. He'd never been one to drink much, but there were times when it was just needed. Like having to explain that you'd seen your own cub go savage. He poured another shot and threw it back.

"S-She said her stomach was hurting, then her head, then just everything," he put the glass down and pushed it away. "T-The next thing we knew, she was on the floor, growling and screaming, and she just…"

He trailed off again, dropping his face in his paws. It tore at me to see him like this, to have to force him to relive it, but we needed all the info on this drug we could get.

"Ed told us you said something about her getting some candy from one of her friends," I spoke as gently as I could. "Can you give us anything else on that?"

His breath hitched, he shoved his paws through his mane.

"I-It was actually Yumiko who found them, just before Zariah went…went savage," he gulped again. "Astelle had caught her going through Zariah's school bag, she couldn't believe it when Yumiko pulled them out. She said Zariah had gotten them from her friend, Alexis, that she was mad her sister wouldn't share, so she was just going to take some."

He stopped there, but it didn't take much guesswork to figure out what happened next. I could hear Astelle scolding her, saying she couldn't just take things if someone told her no, the lecture getting cut short when they heard Zariah screaming downstairs. It had already been three days since then, three days they'd been terrified and worried, and there still wasn't any sign the drug was leaving her system. Or any of the other victims, for that matter.

"Did you see the pills?" Paul asked. "Do you remember what they looked like?"

Rocco rubbed his forehead, his claws digging in.

"T-They were blue," he said. "Light blue, like a cub's blanket when he's born, and they were…they were…"

He groaned, pressing his claws in so hard I was afraid he'd make himself bleed.

"D-Don't push yourself too hard," I said. "Just tell us what you can."

He nodded, shoving out a sigh and forcing his paw down.

"They were a weird shape, not like any pills I've ever seen; a paw print, or something like that," he looked up at us, his fist tightening on his jeans. "Alexis and her parents met us at the hospital that night, and I asked her where she'd gotten them. She wouldn't tell me until everyone else had gone to try and eat.

"She said she'd found them in her step-brother's room, that he must've hidden them because he didn't want his friends knowing he liked Princess Tarts," he chuckled a bit, pretty weakly. "She said she tried one, but spit it out when it didn't taste right, so she was going to ask Zariah about them, since she's the candy expert."

He chuckled again, but it was hard to miss the tear that slipped down his cheek. He swiped at it with the back of his paw, just like both the girls did.

"But then Astelle came to pick her up, and Zariah shoved the bag in her pocket and ran off, since her mom hates waiting," this time he barely smiled. Astelle's impatience was one of the few things they fought about. He took a breath and sighed again, his shoulders slumping. "I'm sure you can figure the rest out."

I could, and I didn't like where it was leading me. Not only was someone darting preds with some weird new drug to make them go nuts, but they or someone else were turning that same drug into pills that looked way too much like a candy a lot of kids loved. It potentially opened up a whole new side of the case, one nobody had thought to look for yet. I glanced at Paul, the pen that had slipped from his paw and rolled off the notebook, teetering on the edge of the couch before falling to the floor. I shook my head, pushing myself to my feet.

"I'll be back, I have to tell Bogo about this," I walked out before either of them could answer, heading straight for my room. I grabbed my laptop and fired it up, taking the buffalo's card from my pocket; he'd given it to me after the second half of our little talk that morning. I kept the email as short as I could without leaving anything out, then sent it off, putting my laptop away just as footsteps stopped outside my door. I stiffened as the scent hit my nose, relief coursing through me.

"N-Nick?" Carrots inched the door open, her ears flat against her back. "C-Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," I sat on my bed, smiling at her. "Come on in."

She slipped inside and shut the door behind her, resting her forehead against it before turning back to me. When she did, her face had the same blank expression she'd worn since the near-miss shooting. I frowned.

"I know what you're trying to do, Carrots," I said as she walked toward me. "And I can tell you it's a really bad idea."

She climbed up next to me, smoothing out her nightshirt. It was white and covered in carrots, big surprise.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she wouldn't look at me. I rolled my eyes.

"C'mon, Carrots, don't bullshit me," I took her chin and turned her face toward me. "I don't think I have to remind you that you were shot at this morning, or that you've pretty much been a zombie all day."

She narrowed her eyes at me, batting my paw from her face. She turned away and started to slip down, squeaking when I lashed out and grabbed her wrist. I yanked her into my lap, trapping her in my arms when she tried to escape. She glared up at me, pushing at my chest.

"Let go, Nick, _now_."

I scoffed.

"Not until you talk to me," I stared down at her. "I saw you shaking after it happened, I'm not going to let you just keep it in and hurt yourself!"

She growled, hitting my shoulder.

"I'm not going to hurt myself," she argued. "Let me go!"

She kept hitting me, not stopping until I'd grabbed both her paws in one of mine. Everything about her was so much smaller, but she'd proven time and again she didn't fit the "fragile belle" stereotype usually thrown at bunnies. I squeezed her paws, letting everything that had bubbled in my gut today fill my eyes. She calmed down when I looked at her again, her eyes widening.

"Nick, you…"

"Yeah," I held her paws to my chest. "I've been worried about you all day, Fluff, all of us have."

She blinked, then looked down at my paw, still wrapped around hers. When she looked back up, her eyes were watering.

"I-I'm sorry, Nick," she whispered tearfully. "I-I don't know what I was thinking, I-I just wanted to…"

"Hey," I let her paws go, cupping her face. "You don't have to apologize to me, Carrots, just talk to me."

She sniffed, then nodded, laying her head on my shoulder.

"Bunnies have to work twice as hard just to be taken seriously," she said quietly. "I have to prove I'm more than just a 'cute ball of fluff', that I can do this job just as well as other mammals, if not better."

She curled up, one of her paws slipping under my arm and grabbing my shirt. Absently, I traced the scars on her cheek, remembering the other question burning a hole through my head.

"You got these from a fox, didn't you?"

She gasped, pushing away from me, her paws flying to her face.

"Y-You weren't supposed to see those," she stammered. "H-How did you-?"

I held up my paw, letting my claws out. I kept them short, but sharp.

"I know what scars from these look like, Carrots," I told her. I brought my paw down. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

She got that look on her face again, the one that said she was trying to think up a lie.

"I…I just didn't want you to…that's to say I…"

"Carrots," I took her paw again. "I know we haven't known each other long, but you know you can come to me with anything, right?"

She hesitated, then nodded.

"I-I know, and I keep trying to tell myself that, but I've just gotten so used to keeping stuff to myself," she curled back up against my chest, her ears flopping over my shoulder. "I was always the odd bunny out, even when I was a kid, and there was one animal determined to never let me forget it."

She gulped, taking a small, shuddering breath.

"H-His name was Gideon Grey, one of the only foxes in Bunnyburrow. I got these scars defending some of my friends from him," she traced a paw over them. "W-We got in a fight and he knocked me down, so I kicked him in the face, hard enough to make his nose bleed."

She shivered.

"But it just made him angrier, so while I was still on the ground, he scratched me, but it was the last time he messed with me or my friends."

She looked up at me, waiting for an answer, but I didn't really know what to say.

"You bully was a fox," I finally managed. "But so's the leader of your favorite band, I'm afraid I'm a little lost here, Fluff."

She giggled, pushing herself back up.

"The fact you're both foxes is the only thing you have in common," she blushed. "Gideon was never as nice as you are, and he never would've protected me, or any prey, like you do. You were even worried when I slipped like an idiot on that podium."

She laughed again, her ears flying up when the door opened. Yumiko was rubbing her eye with her paw, her tail tucked close to her. One sniff told me exactly what'd happened.

"U-Unkie Nick? I had a accident…"


	33. Chapter 33

"Has anyone ever told you that you're great with kids?"

Carrots fell over on her side. After we'd gotten Yumiko taken care of, we'd gone back to my room, and had been talking ever since. I fell back next to her, staring at the ceiling.

"I've been hearing that since I _was_ a kid," I smiled, but it didn't last long. "In fact, up until high school, all I ever wanted was to be a teacher, the very first fox in the job, but…"

"But?" she pushed herself back up. I shook my head.

"I just learned it was never gonna happen," that old bitterness crept up again. "There's 'nothing decent to learn from a fox', that's what they always told me."

She gasped.

"Are you serious?"

"Aren't I always?" I rolled forward until I was sitting, then fell on my stomach. "But, yeah, even the worst pred schools were too good for me, even though most of their teachers were spread so thin they might as well not have been there at all."

I looked over at her. She was fidgeting, glancing around like I'd made her nervous.

"I…I just can't get used to this," she curled up, hiding her face with her knees. "H-How can predators still be treated so badly? It seems like the only thing that's gotten better for you is the tame collars being outlawed."

I sighed. God, why did so many of our conversations lead to her crying?

"The sad thing is we're grateful for even that much," I crossed my arms under my chin. Mom used to say it was the only way I'd fall asleep as a kit. I opened my mouth to talk again, but she plowed right on.

"And now, with that drug making so many of you go savage, there's prey animals all over the city demanding that those collars be reinstated," she was choking up. "They just refuse to see you've been the victims all along, t-they just don't care! A-All they can see is-!"

"Judy!" I pushed myself up, fighting back the growl in my voice. I wasn't pissed at her, it was everything else; I was starting to feel hopeless, and I fucking hated it. "How many times have I said that freaking out won't solve anything? We can't lose focus, not if we want to stop this!"

That seemed to knock some sense into her. She nodded, rubbing her eyes, taking deep breathes to calm herself. When she looked back up at me, she managed to smile, even if it was pretty shaky. I smiled back, glancing at the clock.

"Now, how about we put this on hold and try getting some sleep? We won't be any good to anyone if we're too tired to think straight."

She giggled, a ghost of her usual determination flashing in her eyes.

"That sounds like a great idea, but," she turned away, a blush creeping up her ears. "D-Do you think I could stay here tonight? We had to put Yumiko and Rocco in my room, and you don't have any more spare blankets, so…"

I chuckled, taking her paw and pulling her to me.

"It's supposed to get pretty cold tonight, and I don't think this ratty old thing is gonna cut it," I tugged the blanket, which was actually pretty thick, and threw it over us. She curled right up against me, snuggling into my chest.

"That sounds perfect," she yawned. "And thank you, Nick, all of you. I never would've…"

She trailed off, already asleep. My ears were burning, every inch of my fur standing on end. I couldn't believe she already felt this safe around me, that she trusted me this much.

 _Could it even be more than that?_ I'd asked myself that a few times by now, and it still made my heart race. I looked down at her, smoothing a paw over her ears, and finally gave in to one of the urges I'd been fighting the past week. I nuzzled the top of her head, then kissed the same spot.

 _I'm actually falling for you, little bunny…_

* * *

The most annoying screech woke us up way too early the next morning. I'd almost forgotten Carrots had left her phone on the nightstand. To be fair, she didn't go for it right away, and actually pressed her paws to her ears to block it out. I chuckled, brushing her nose with the tip of my tail.

"I don't think that thing's gonna shut up until you answer it, Fluff."

She looked up at me, her eyes almost pleading, but then she groaned, reaching over and snatching it.

"Yeah?" she yawned, sitting up and stretching. "Yes, you woke up, so what is it, Clawhauser?"

I chuckled, slapping a paw to my mouth when she glared at me. She rubbed her eye, her ears flat against her back as she hummed to whatever that crazy cheetah was saying. But then everything about her perked up; she'd gone from zero to sixty in half a second.

"Are you serious?" her eyes flashed. "I'll be right there!"

She hung up and slapped the phone down, whirling and jumping on me.

"We finally got a breakthrough, Nick!" she grabbed my shirt, almost throttling me she was so hyped up. "We finally know where the drugs came from!"

"What?!" I shot up, throwing her off. "That's awesome!"

"Kind of," she sat up, looking kinda sheepish. She rubbed the back of her head. "The lab's only been able to trace one bag so far, but still…"

She brightened up again.

"It's a lot more than we've had!"

"Sure is," I kicked the blanket off. "So, where's the little bag of pills leading us?"

"Tundratown," she grimaced a bit. "I was actually hoping we wouldn't have to go back there, at least until our winter coats grew in. All that snow's really pretty, but it's just too freaking cold!"

I chuckled.

"Well, sometimes life just sucks like that, Carrots," I climbed off the bed, an idea suddenly hitting me. I turned to her, looking her up and down. "You've got some kind of formalwear, right?"

She stared at me, then blinked.

"Wait, what?" she was totally lost. "Where's this coming from?"

I shook my head.

"Just answer it, do you or not?"

"Well, no, but Mercy and I were planning to go shopping after my shift today," she looked at me. "Why?"

"Because," I smirked back at her. "We're going to my god-sister's wedding."


	34. Chapter 34

I don't know how I didn't think of it earlier. There weren't too many mammals that knew the city better than I did, but my godfather was definitely one of them. He and his team had taught me pretty much everything I knew.

I trailed after Carrots as she walked through the station, breaking off when she started heading for the bullpen. She looked back at me, her eyes bright with confusion.

"Why exactly did you want to come with me?" she asked. "I mean, you're not a cop, so you can't exactly do much here."

I shrugged, taking my phone from my pocket; I still had a while.

"I actually had to talk to the chief," I glanced up, debating whether to tell her Buffalo-Butt had basically ordered me to be her bodyguard. My eyes darted to Spots' desk. Leo was leaning against it and talking to him, but the bear never stopped looking around, his paw stuffed in the same pocket I'd watched him drop a taser in this morning. I smirked, thinking the rest of my team could learn something from him about being subtle.

I came back to reality when Carrots punched my shoulder, staring up at me.

"You weren't listening to me at all just now, were you?"

My ears flicked down, my tail frizzing a bit.

"Sorry, Fluff," I ran a paw through my hair. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately. What did you say?"

She kept staring at me, then rolled her eyes.

"I said, 'what did you have to talk to the chief about?'."

"Oh, uh," I rubbed the back of my neck. It was an idea I'd gone back and forth on for years, but I'd never had the guts to actually ask about it before now. "I was actually thinking about applying for my own PI license, but I'm still not sure if I really want to go through with it."

She gave me a weird look.

"But your dad was a PI," she said. "And you said you carried his shield around because you 'didn't want to make the same mistake'."

My tail waved slowly behind me.

"I know what I said, but…" I shoved my paws in my pockets. "I didn't tell you everything. It wasn't the job itself that got him killed, it was what he did to get the job done."

"What?"

I sighed. Guess this had to come out sooner or later.

"He started as a PI, but basically turned into a bounty hunter, one that would break any law he had to to get his target," I pulled out the badge and stared at it. "And that's really why I carry this around, so I won't forget what it stands for like he did. I'd never risk hurting innocent mammals just to get a mark, unless it was the _only_ choice I had."

I put it away and looked back to her.

"The band's been awesome and all, but it's been over ten years, and we were never gonna do it forever," I smiled, not caring if she saw the red in my ears. "And I'd love to be able to work with you after this, and I mean officially, not just because I conned you into it."

She laughed a bit, then hugged me.

"Well, I'm glad, Slick," she pulled back, beaming up at me. "And I think you'll make one heck of an investigator."

Her next move caught me completely off-guard; she jumped up and kissed my cheek, darting to the bullpen before I was even sure she'd done it. And like the lovestruck doofus in a movie, I touched the spot, staring after her with a stupid grin on my face. I didn't even care when Spots' squeal made the windows shake, Leo and everyone else in the room smashing their ears against their heads. I just kept staring until her tail flicked around the corner, my heart racing the whole time.

* * *

"So, why exactly are we going to your god-sister's wedding?" Carrots asked again. My talk with the chief hadn't gone exactly like I'd planned; apparently getting locked in the nuthouse hurt your chances of getting a shield. But he'd at least said he'd see what he could do. We were sitting in my dad's old office, and up until a few minutes ago, she'd been telling me exactly what I'd have to do to get my PI badge. I rolled my eyes, letting the law book I'd been skimming through slip from my paws.

"I've explained it three times already, Carrots," I told her. "My godfather's pretty much the only one who knows the city better than I do, so if anyone can tell us exactly where this drug is coming from, it's him."

I swiped the book off the floor and shoved it back on the shelf. They were all pretty outdated by now, I'd have to get new ones somewhere.

"And I'd be going to the wedding whether we needed his help or not," I went on. "He's pretty much the main reason I'm not living in some box in an alley right now, or worse, dead."

Her paws froze on the keyboard. She'd been looking through my dad's computer, reading any case files she could find. She turned the chair around to look at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I lived with him until I was four or five," I gave her as little as I could, she'd find out the whole truth soon enough. "I don't know how I ended up getting adopted by zebras, but he was the one who made it happen."

I turned away when she started talking again, shaking my head and going for the door.

"I've had about all I can take of this room for one day," I stopped in the doorway, my claws digging into the frame. "Wedding's Friday night, if you wanna go, be ready by eight."

I walked out before she could answer, my tail dragging on the floor as I trudged back to my room.

 _I should've just kept my mouth shut,_ I thought. _She'll learn everything now, and when she does, she won't want anything to do with me._

 _Why would she now? You're not exactly good company._

I groaned.

 _Oh, great, now I'm arguing with myself. I must really be losing it._

 _Did you ever really have it to start with?_

 _Ok, shut up!_

I locked my door behind me, slamming my head against it and sliding to the floor. I should've just told that rabbit what she wanted to know at the precinct, not hustled her into letting me tag along. I tilted my head back until I stared at the ceiling. I'd never noticed what a weird shape it actually was: almost a circle, the ribs spreading out from the middle like some kind of wooden star. It wasn't flat, either, more like what you'd see in an old castle tower. It was the same room my parents had set up for me before they'd even decided to bring me home.

 _Mom…Dad…Fin…_ I sniffed a bit, swiping my nose with the back of my paw. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd actually cried about them. _I really miss you guys, even you, Tony…_

Tony had been great until I'd gotten my tame collar, then all of a sudden he's turned into a fucking sadist. He'd done whatever he could to piss me off, make me cry, really any way a mammal could be upset. Fin had made it go off more than once, too, but that had usually been because I'd been laughing so hard, or if I'd been scared for him. But it never mattered what the reason was. Every time it went off, I hated it more, wanted nothing but to tear it off and rip it to pieces.

And when the day came that they were finally outlawed, that was exactly what I had done. It had felt amazing, but then I'd rubbed my neck, felt the scars that had been burnt into my skin. I'd never have to get shocked again, but I'd never be able to fully escape it, and I was sure that had been exactly what Tony had wanted.

 _But why?_ I stared down at my paws, letting my claws out, watched the light jump off them. _He was my brother, I'd never done anything to him, how could he have suddenly hated me so much?_

For years, that was all I'd been able to think about. Sure, he'd lose his patience and yell at Fin, or even Mom and Dad, but he'd never treated any of them like that. Fin had been a fox, too, so was it because I was the only one with a collar? Was that why? Or had there been some other reason, one I still couldn't figure out?

I buried my face in my paws and shuddered.

 _I don't even want to_ think _about it too long,_ I gulped. _Besides, there's really no understanding mammals like him…_

I forced myself to get up, moving as slow as I could to my bed. There weren't usually too many signs before moods like this hit me, but this had to be the first time it had crashed on me with absolutely _no_ warning. I flopped on my bed, crawled to the middle and curled up, hoping it would break at least a bit by Friday. I had something important to do then, and I couldn't let anything ruin it. Not this time.


	35. Chapter 35

_"_ _So, what made you decide we were gonna be a punk band?"_

 _Trevor knelt on the floor next to his kit, shining it for the third time since he'd put it together. I shrugged, taking my guitar from the case and plugging it in._

 _"_ _Most of us listen to it," I said. "And the only way to get a message out in this city is to smash animals over the head with it."_

 _Mercy messed with her tail; her dad had burned some of the fur off it again._

 _"_ _But…what message are we trying to send?" she asked. "And couldn't you have picked something a little less…aggressive?"_

 _She curled in on herself when we stared at her. Trevor shook his head._

 _"_ _Mercy, it took a lemur_ killing _preds to get them to toss those stupid collars," he shoved the rag in his pocket and stood up. "I'm with Nick, if we want anyone to listen, we'll have to be as loud and in-their-faces as we can."_

 _She still looked pretty nervous, but I was sure it was more about getting on a stage than what kind of music we'd be playing. She'd always hated being in front of crowds. I went over and put a paw on her arm, since I couldn't really reach her shoulder._

 _"_ _Look, Mercy," I almost used her nickname, but she never would've listened then. "I know performing freaks you out, but that's the cool thing about this."_

 _I jumped on a table and started shredding, smirking at their faces when I was done. It was the first time they'd heard just how awesome I was. I sat on the edge and started playing the solo from her favorite song._

 _"_ _We'll all be up there together, we'll have each other's backs like we do with everything else," I smiled. "And at the same time, we'll be helping to change the city. There's no way prey'll be able to ignore us now!"_

 _She still looked unsure, but not as much as before. I slipped down and pulled my guitar off, leaning it against the table leg._

 _"_ _Look, it'll be a while before we play any big crowds," I said. "We still need a bass player and another back-up singer, not to mention a name and our own songs."_

 _I looked up at her, my smile falling a bit; it was pretty hard to miss the fear in her eyes. I sighed._

 _"_ _But we don't want you doing more than you can handle, so if you really wanna back out, we won't stop you."_

 _She just stared down at me, but I didn't know why she was so shocked; did she really think we'd force her into it? She played with her tail a bit more before dropping it, throwing up the salute we'd used since we were kids._

 _"_ _I'll do it, on one condition," she brought her paw down. "We need to have another girl in the group, I'm sick of being the only one."_

 _I pretended to think about it, then held out a paw._

 _"_ _You got a deal, Mercy," I laughed when she shook it. "Welcome to the band."_

* * *

"Nick?"

My ears flicked, my nose twitching as the smell hit me. I cracked my eyes open, seeing a white blur in a gold haze. I blinked, groaning as I threw my tail over my face.

"Yo, Mercy," I muttered. "What's going on?"

She glanced around before flashing a smile, a nervous and shaky one.

"Oh, not a thing," she wouldn't really focus on anything. "W-What's going on with you?"

I pulled my tail out of my face and sat up.

"You're not exactly hard to read, Merc," I was the only one who could get away with calling her that. "And right now, you might as well have 'I'm terrified' stamped on your forehead."

She screwed with her tail a while before sighing, looking at me for the first time since she came in.

"I-I know I really shouldn't be," she started. "But I'm worried what might happen if we go to that wedding, I just feel like it'd be a _really_ bad idea!"

She'd always been uneasy around my godsister, in fact most mammals were scared of the whole family, but I cared about her too much to skip out on it. Especially for what I saw as a pretty bad reason. I slipped off the bed, went to my dresser and started digging through it. Maybe it would help if I actually folded this stuff instead of just shoving it in…

"Look, Merc, I understand if you don't want to go, Paul's not too behind the idea, either, but I have to," I looked at her over my shoulder. "Not only am I alive because of them, but there's a really good chance he'll be able to tell us where this drug is coming from. We'll finally be able to break this case!"

She shoved her paws through her hair; it only about half purple now, the rest the same white as the rest of her.

"I-I know, but…" she threw her paws down and shook her head. "Nick, this guy's drugged our fans and almost killed Judy, and that whole wedding will be full of animals you care about, I just know he's going to try something!"

It was my turn to sigh as I shoved my clothes on top of the dresser.

"I know that, Merc, but I can't let that stop me. This case has dragged on for almost three months already," I added. "Either we get the drug lead from my godfather, or the perp tries something and we catch him. Either way, it's too big of a chance to miss."

I went over and put a paw on hers; she was starting to shake a bit.

"Like I said, you and Paul don't have to go, but Carrots and I don't really have a choice. I'm one of the few animals my godfather trusts, and I couldn't do as much without a cop there, and I'd want to be there, anyway."

I didn't usually have to repeat myself this much with her, but when it came to things she didn't think were worth the risk, there was usually no end to how long she'd argue it out. But she ended up surprising me this time.

"I still don't like it, but I can't let you guys do this alone," she stood up and looked down at me. "I'll go, and that means Paul will come, too. We'll have each other's backs, just like always."

I smiled, throwing up that old salute.

"Just like always."

We laughed, then she glanced at the clock on my nightstand.

"Oh, and can you be ready to go in about an hour? Judy and I had to push our shopping trip to this morning because her shift ran long yesterday, and I get the feeling she doesn't want to go without you."

I groaned, should've seen this coming.

"Yeah, I can swing that," I glared at her. "And you better not pull any of the stunts you usually do, I will fight back this time!"

She laughed again, failing miserably at looking innocent.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about, Nicky," she skipped to the hall. "Judy and I'll be waiting on the porch for you, so don't take too long!"

She threw up a wave and shut the door; I groaned again, throwing a paw over my eyes.

 _Ugh, Mom was right, I'll never get girls…_ I shuddered. _And I really don't think I want to._


	36. Chapter 36

_Am I the only one thinking Nick's narration is pretty different from earlier? I noticed it happens a lot when I try to write in FP from a guy's point of view, which is a big part of the reason I don't usually do it. Or if I do I usually end up scraping the story a couple chapters in. But part of the reason this thing's gotten so long is me getting out of my comfort zone, (which will be even more obvious in a couple chapters, trust me) that and it just seems to be how this thing wants to go. And if it does keep going like I'm thinking it will, then this thing will probably end up being forty-five or fifty chapters, maybe even longer._

 _But the chapter thing might have more to do with the fact I'm keeping them under two thousand words, even if I haven't actually had to split any of them yet. But something tells me that's going to be a problem further down the line._

 _Anyway, you're all here to read Nick's yammering, not mine (though I guess it is still mine), so let's get on with it, shall we?_

* * *

 _Why the hell did I agree to this?_

That had been going through my head on a loop the last three hours. I knew Mercy could spend all day looking at clothes, we'd had to drag her from any place that sold the stuff at closing time more than once. But it was the last thing I'd expected from Carrots; she just seemed like the type to browse, buy and split as fast as she could.

But as usual with her, I'd turned out to be completely wrong.

"Ooh, Judy, check _this_ one out!"

I pushed my sunglasses up as I rubbed a paw over my eyes, trying to drown out their silly squealing. They'd already tried to drag me in to it more than once, had to be the only times I've been able to resist the 'kicked baby' looks they loved using. I had gotten one thing right about that bunny, though, she wasn't above trying to manipulate animals to get what she wanted. She wasn't petty or (too) obvious about it, but after a while it was easy to tell she was just trying to get under your fur.

 _"_ _Those ugly shirts you like will only work for so long, Slick,"_ it was one of the last lines she'd tried. She'd tugged at the one I'd thrown on this morning, the same blue and white one from the day I'd shown her the city. I'd grabbed the gray pants I always wore with it out of habit, trying not to think she might actually have a point. _"Sooner or later, someone with a big mouth is gonna figure it out, and you'll have to think up a whole new disguise."_

I let my shades fall back in place and took out my phone, feeling the glare of a cashier on my tail as I leaned against the wall by the fitting rooms. I kept an ear out for the girls as I looked through Furbook, trying to find any other leads we might've missed. There hadn't been any actual attacks since we'd sprung all those preds from Meadowbrook, unless you counted my little tussle with Brandon, but that didn't mean anyone had let their guard down. If anything, the lull just made animals more nervous, that whole 'calm before the storm' crap and everything.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be lying if I said I took it as a good sign, but also if I wasn't liking the break from the whole thing. Now we could just focus on finding where this drug came from, which would hopefully lead us to whoever was behind it all. Then we'd finally be able to find a cure and bury this case, but I'd be an idiot to think things would just instantly get better after that. This thing had scarred mammals, in a lot of cases, literally, and it'd be a long time before any of those scars actually healed, if they ever did at all.

"Hey, Nick!"

My ear flicked at Carrots' voice, the new kind of excitement in it I wasn't quite used to hearing. They'd both paraded in several outfits so far, mostly in the 'just plain weird' to the 'what the hell are you thinking' range. It'd been kind of funny at first, but like everything else about this day had just gotten grating. I smirked at the frustrated sound she let out, like a kit who didn't think they were getting enough attention.

"Nick, I'm going to shove that phone down your throat if you don't put it down," she huffed. "Now quit ignoring me and look!"

My plan was to glance up, just long enough to get her to shut up, but instead my eyes flicked to her and locked there. I couldn't stop the gasp that slipped out, my phone falling to the floor as my paws went numb. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly Sahara Square.

" _Wow…_ "

Damn it, even I could hear how awestruck I sounded. The dress itself wasn't much: off-shoulder, long sleeves and skirt, but it made it hard to miss how small her waist was, and it was what had just become my favorite shade of blue, like the sky at noon on a clear day. It set off her fur in a way nothing else had, made her eyes stand out even more than they already did.

Her ears were as red as mine, falling back against her head as she walked toward me. I knelt when she got to me, brushing her cheek with the backs of my fingers.

"You look incredible…" I still sounded dazed, but now I didn't care. My eyes flicked to her lips, her big front teeth chewing the bottom one nervously. Her paw hovered over my chest, but I was sure she could feel how hard my heart was going, getting faster as I leaned closer. Her paws slipping over my shoulders as mine curled around her waist, her breath shaking against my nose as…

"Oh, my god, I knew it!"

Carrots yanked back from me, the flush in her ears flaring across her face. Mercy was bouncing in place, her smile so wide I thought her whole face would crack. But it stopped the second I glowered I her, and she slinked away with her tail between her legs. I turned back to Carrots, who pulled my paws off her back and shoved them at my chest.

"Well, I-I guess I…I-I'll just get out of this, then," she wouldn't look at me, but she still threw up a weak excuse of a smile. "I-I wouldn't want to outdo the bride, after all!"

She scampered off, tripping over the skirt at almost every step. The sound of a door clicking shut echoed in my head, I barely noticed when Mercy peeked around the side of another one.

Had that really just happened? Or had I finally passed out from boredom and this was all just some dream? The fading heat in my ears and growing pain in my chest told me it wasn't. I really had almost kissed Judy Hopps, again, and she'd stopped it just because Mercy had seen us. Would she have done the same thing if it had been anyone else? Had she just been scared, or had it been something else?

 _No,_ I shook my head, hard enough to make me nauseous. _S-She was just caught off-guard, she's never cared what anyone else thought before._

Or did she? I'd stared in her eyes as she'd pushed me away, and my gut dropped when I realized the shame I'd seen in them. It hadn't been much, mixed in with massive embarrassment I shared and a lot of things I couldn't name. But it didn't matter that it'd only been a little, the fact was she'd been caught in the arms of a predator, and even more, a fox, and she'd been ashamed of it.

Ashamed of me.


	37. Chapter 37

I spent the next two days holed up in my room, only coming out when I was sure a certain rabbit had left. She'd moved back to her apartment after what'd happened to Zariah, saying it'd be better for her to be close to the precinct until this case was finally solved. Not that it really mattered, since she still spent pretty much every free minute she had around here.

I've been a work-out nut since that last fight with the head doctor at Meadowbrook, it was the only thing that'd helped since I'd given up music at the time, but lately I'd thrown myself into it more than I ever have: push-ups until my arms went numb, running until my legs gave out. I told myself I was just making up for the two months I'd slacked off, but there was another voice in my head that just wouldn't stop spitting the real reason.

I was falling in love with Judy Hopps, something I hadn't even been sure I could do anymore, and like most mammals in my life, she'd let me crash and burn. All those times she'd said she felt safe with me, that she'd snuggled against me like we'd already been dating for months, it had all been complete bullshit. She'd just gotten me to trust her so I'd be more willing to help with the case, or whatever the hell she'd really been after. It killed me not knowing her real endgame, but I didn't trust myself not to lose it if I tried prying it out of her. I'd help her finish this, then I honestly didn't care if I never saw her face again.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

I was hanging by my knees from a ceiling pipe when her scent hit me, making me lose the half-brained count of the sit-ups I'd done. She didn't waste any time throwing the door open; I cursed myself for forgetting to lock it. She stopped just behind me, and I glared at her in the mirror hanging across from us.

"Oh, it's you," I grunted as I pushed through another. "What do _you_ want?"

She crossed her arms, her foot thumping against the floor.

"You've been avoiding me since the shopping trip, Nick," she said tersely. "I want to know why."

I barked a laugh, forcing myself through three more before finally giving up. I let go of the bar, landing in a crouch in front of her.

"Don't give me that," I rose slowly, my glare never leaving hers. I crossed my arms. "You know _exactly_ what this is about."

She growled, putting her paws on her hips. Her eyes were starting to waver, she was trying so hard to keep staring at my face. I smirked, deciding to use it to my advantage.

"You know, I've been called drool-worthy before," I reached out and swiped my thumb along her chin. "But I never thought that was literal."

Her jaw dropped; she jumped back with a squeak, covering her face with her paws.

"Oh my god…" it was a minute or two before she looked back up. She was getting flustered, perfect. "So…uh, i-is this is what you've been doing all this time?"

I rolled my eyes, shoving a paw through my hair.

"Well, yeah, I've gotta stay ripped," I crossed my arms again. "What, you really thought it was the music that kept fans coming back?"

She glowered at me, then looked away, her ears flushing pink.

"Well, it _is_ pretty awesome," she mumbled, then shook her head, focusing on me. Or trying to, at least. "A-And I just didn't think foxes could get so…bulky."

I glanced down at myself, then shrugged.

"Normally, we can't, but I've got a myostatin deficiency," I scratched the back of my head, not sure why I was bothering to explain. "It's actually pretty common in Stonewood."

She blinked, looking confused.

"Stonewood?"

"Where my birth parents are from, they were refugees," I swallowed, my paw dropping. Why the hell was I telling her this? "Back then, there was only one hospital in the city that let foxes anywhere near it, and it just happened to be the worst one."

I rubbed my eyes; it was the first time I'd ever told this story, and it just had to be when I was pissed at her, at everything.

"My mom died a few hours after she had me, she lost too much blood," I gulped. "And my dad couldn't take care of me on his own. That's how he got involved with my godfather, it was pretty much the only job he could get that wouldn't leave us on the street."

I pushed my other paw through my hair, staring out the window. Clouds were starting to build, thunder rumbling in the distance. I shook my head.

"But a few weeks after I was baptized," I gulped, starting to choke a bit. "H-He ended up on the wrong side of a gun."

I heard her gasp, felt her tiny paws cling to the one hanging at my side.

"Oh, Nick…"

I pulled away before she could say anything else, going to my bed and grabbing the water bottle I'd tossed on it. I knocked back whatever was left, wiping my mouth with the back of my fist.

"I was only six months old when he died," I couldn't believe it. I'd spent the last two and a half days fuming over this damn bunny, and now here I was, holding back tears as I told her a story I'd never told anyone else. One I barely even knew myself. "I never knew him, or my mom; hell, I don't even know what they looked like!"

I threw the bottle at the floor, where it bounced and rolled away. Carrots stopped it with her foot, then bent down and picked it up. She stared down at it, toying with it as she talked.

"I-I may not know exactly what I did to you, Nick," she looked up, her eyes misty. "But I'm sorry, and before you say anything, I'm _not_ just saying this out of pity. I really am sorry, Nick, for everything."

I expected her to start crying, and for a second, it seemed like she would. But then her shoulders stopped shaking, and when she looked back up at me, her eyes were clear. She gave me a small, unsure smile.

"And if you can still stand the sight of me, I'd love to go to the wedding with you," her ears flushed a bit. "I want to meet one of the mammals who helped make you the amazing fox you are."

My tail frizzed, wagging the slightest bit. Even though she was apparently clueless to how much she'd hurt me, she still seemed genuinely sorry about it. Part of me was dying to forgive her, to just throw everything out there and see where it went. But the other half still kept its guard up, my hackles raising as it told me over and over that she'd never really trust me, or could ever care about me like I did her. I wanted to shake the thoughts off, to throw them out of my head and stomp them into the dirt, but at the same time, I couldn't stop thinking they were right. That the first half of me was just reaching for an impossible dream, one I didn't deserve, anyway.

I came back to earth when a small paw took my wrist, and for a flash of a second, I thought it was Finnick, that everything that had happened the last twenty years was just a nightmare eleven-year-old me was having. But when I looked down, I didn't see a brown-eyed fennec kit in his favorite elephant costume. Instead, I saw a violet-eyed bunny in a _Savage Wilde_ t-shirt, but she stared up at me with the same warmth, the same affection he always had. And it made my heart twist in the same exact way.

 _Maybe I_ do _still have a chance,_ my heart raced at the thought of it. I glanced at the ceiling, doing something I hadn't since I was twelve. I prayed. _Please, if anything goes right for me, let it be this…_


	38. Chapter 38

"Well, this is kind of embarrassing…"

I'd spent ten minutes screwing around with my tie before Paul had shoved my paws away, kneeling down and doing it himself. He rolled his eyes.

"You're lucky _one_ of us knows how to do this…" he finished in a few seconds, throwing my jacket at me before getting up and grabbing his. "What time does it start again?"

"Eight," I glanced at my watch. Carrots had talked us all into getting ready early, 'just in case we hit trouble', so now we had an hour before our ride even showed up. I looked up to see him watching me, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit unnerving. I fought back a shiver, threw on my jacket and whisked past him.

"Any reason you keep staring at me like that?"

I went for the door, but he pushed it shut.

"You really gonna do it?" he asked. "Or are you just gonna chicken out and make an ass of yourself again?"

My tail frizzed, my mouth locking shut; I'd just had to tell him what I'd planned for tonight…I cleared my throat, pulling my ears back as I glanced around. I didn't _have_ to do it tonight, I told myself, I could just wait until this case was over, after everything had died down. But then, would I ever get the chance?

I barely noticed when Paul slipped past me, leaving the door cracked open. I could hear the girls talking and laughing down the hall, my heart racing when I heard Judy.

"Y-You really think it looks good?" she sounded nervous. Mercy giggled.

"It looks amazing, no one will be able to take their eyes off you!"

She groaned.

"That's not really helping, especially since we're going to someone else's _wedding_ , I'm not supposed to be the center of attention!"

Mercy sighed.

"That's what the caplet is for," she said. "But don't put it on until the guys see you!"

"Okay, okay," she groaned again. "Did you see where I left my ear chain? It was my-"

I stopped listening after that, pulling my door shut and heading downstairs. I took out my phone, my ears dropping when I saw Roc had answered my text. There still hadn't been any change in Zariah, or any of the animals who'd gone savage, and even worse was three more kids from her school had gotten hold of the drug. My grip tightened, my claws scratching the edges of the screen. I stopped on the landing and texted him back, saying we were chasing a lead that would hopefully lead to the source. I also apologized, again, for getting everyone into this mess, swearing I wouldn't stop until we had a cure.

I stuck my phone back in my pocket, my ears perking up a bit when I heard Mercy's door open, her and Carrots still talking and laughing. I headed to the porch before they noticed me, not wanting them to see how freaked out I was. Paul was pacing around when I got there, his jacket tossed over the rail, messing with his cuffs. He stopped when he saw me, shoving his paws in his pockets.

"Mercy told me how scared she is about tonight," he said. "You still sure you wanna go?"

I stopped next to him, leaning against the wall and checking my watch. Fifteen minutes down, forty-five to go.

"I've already explained it to her," I looked up at him. "I'd be going even if we didn't have this crazy drug to worry about, but that doesn't mean you guys have to go."

He scoffed, sitting on the step rail.

"And she's already explained to you that we're not letting you do this alone, even if you'd still have Judy on your side," he smiled, then let his head hang. "But I will say I'm not exactly excited about seeing them again."

I winced. It'd been a few years since they'd met my godfather, and that interaction hadn't exactly gone smoothly.

"You guys paid him back, though," I rubbed the back of my neck. "He told you it was water under the bridge after that."

He looked up at me, skeptical.

"Well, excuse me for not being too excited about that," he put his paws on his knees. "Just wish you'd tell us _how_ you ended up meeting that guy in the first place."

It was one of the few things they didn't know about me, that I never planned on telling them. At least not the whole truth.

"He was a friend of my birth dad," I turned away. I shoved down the stale guilt. "Enough that he made him my godfather, what more do you need to know?"

I glanced back enough to see his eyes narrow. They were the same plain brown a lot of lynxes had, but all he had to do was look at you and he could pretty much tell what you were thinking, word for word.

"I'm not gonna let you get away with lying to me much longer," he got up, standing over me. He was only a head or so taller than me, but right then he might as well have been a giraffe. "One of these days, I'm gonna get the truth, whether it comes from you or not."

I gulped, tugging at my collar. Then I shoved it back, glaring up at him.

"I liked you better when you were mister shy guy."

He just laughed, grabbing his jacket and pulling it on.

"Better get used to it, Slick," he smirked at me. "Because that scaredy cat's long gone."

My tail flicked, I opened my mouth to tell him off, freezing when the door opened. I looked over my shoulder, my jaw dropping the rest of the way.

Judy's dress was red this time: one shoulder, more form-fitting and trailed a bit behind her. There was a gold chain around her left ear, with some kind of rose charm that matched her necklace. She caught me staring and threw the caplet thing around her, clipping it at her neck. Even then, I found it impossible to look away, until Mercy decided to scare the shit out of me.

"Dang, Nick," she wolf-whistled. "I almost forgot how good you look when you actually try!"

I heard Paul growl quietly behind me, glancing over my shoulder to see his ears falling back. I laughed.

"Not my fault I clean up better than you, bud," I straightened my jacket, then took Carrots' paw and pulled her to my side. "But you can't get too jealous, I'm not the only one with a gorgeous girl on my arm tonight!"

Her ears went red as her dress, Mercy giggling as she swept past us. She took Paul's wrist, smirking as she dragged him back to the door.

"You two should probably stay out here for a while," she pulled him inside. "I'm going to show this lynx just how jealous of you he _shouldn't_ be."

She threw up a wave.

"Have fun!"

And the door slammed shut. I turned to Carrots, who was smoothing her dress with a paw, the other still clasped tightly in mine. I smiled when she looked at me, but it was hard to miss the nervous glint in her eyes.

"Something on your mind?"

She shook her head.

"No, just thinking," she glanced over my shoulder, her ears flushing more. "And can we wait somewhere else? It's getting a little _too_ easy to hear what's going on in there…"

My ears flicked back, my tail frizzing.

"Uh, sure," I pulled her down the steps. "But we can't go too far, we still have a ride to catch and a place to be."

She groaned, and I knew she was rolling her eyes. She walked into me when I stopped short, jumping back when I turned and knelt in front of her.

"And you are a _really_ bad liar, Carrots," I tapped her nose, which had been twitching away since we'd gotten outside. "That thing's a dead give-away."

She glared at me, swatting my paw away.

"I'm a cop," she said evenly. "I'm not _supposed_ to be a good liar!"

I shrugged, going to the bench that marked the half-way point of the driveway. It was long and straight, lined on both sides by trees, leading right from the front gate to the house. She stayed standing, staring up at the sky. It was a clear night, warmer than it usually got this time of year, just about perfect, except for…

"Hey, Nick…" she sounded small, nervous. "Do you think we'll ever solve this?"

I looked at her.

"Of course we will," I moved closer to her. "You've been so sure we would up until now, where's this coming from?"

She shook her head, still keeping her back to me.

"That was true when all this started," she looked down, rubbing her arm. "But now that it's gotten this big, I-I'm not so sure we can anymore…"

She turned to me, her eyes glinting with tears.

"I-I'm scared, Nick…"

That was something I never thought I'd hear from her. I reached out, taking her in my arms and holding her tightly.

"I know," I whispered. "But you're not alone in this, you never were."


	39. Chapter 39

All the scent blocker in the world wouldn't have been enough to hide what Mercy and Paul had been up to, even with them crushed against the other side of the bear-sized car and the windows wide open. We still had almost an hour before we got there, so hopefully the scent would fade at least a bit by then.

"Hey, Slick?"

I'd almost forgotten about the rabbit leaning against me, her ears down and nose twitching as she stared out the window. All either of us could really see was the sky and the tops of some trees flying past, but I knew neither of us were really paying attention to the view. I looked down at her, seeing the worried look in her eyes, her paws working around the collar of her caplet.

"Yeah, Fluff?"

She swallowed, her head dropping to her chest. Her next breath was shaky, her ears starting to tremble.

"I-It's about what happened in the fitting area, at that store Mercy took us to," she hesitated again, blowing out a sigh before looking up at me. "I-I know what I did when she walked in on us, but I want you to know it didn't have anything to do with you. I-I just got spooked and…"

She trailed off, laying her forehead on my chest.

"I-I really do like you, Nick," she went on after a while. "A-And if I'm interpreting your actions right, you feel the same way about me, b-but this is just going so fast, a-and this is such a big case, I…"

She choked a bit, raising her head just enough for me to see her eyes.

"I-I just feel like this is moving kind of fast, too fast, a-and it's scaring me," she swallowed, her eyes shining with tears she quickly blinked away. "I-I don't want to lose what we have, really I don't, but I'm just not ready for it all. Y-You understand that…right?"

I stared down at her, and it was all I could do to not burst out laughing. I was just so relieved!

"Of course I get it, Fluff, and you're right," I pulled her closer to me. "It's been a long time since I've felt this way about anyone, I wasn't even sure I _could_ after…"

It was my turn to trail off, to look away with my ears flat against my head. It was getting hard to remember the last time I'd really thought about… _her,_ and I was just starting to think I'd finally gotten over it, but the doubt had flooded in the second her name popped up. The same fear that made me think no one could really care about me that much, that any girl who came after me was after one thing and would be gone the next morning. Just another tryst I'd forget by the same afternoon.

I felt two purple eyes on me, a small, soft pair of paws as they pressed against my shirt. She whispered my name, her voice full of worry. I turned back to her, flashing a smile I was sure looked as hollow as it felt.

"I-It's nothing, just an old disappointment," I ran my claws along the back of her neck, making her ears shoot straight up. She stared at me, her big teeth already on her lip. I traced her cheek, the one without the scars, then kissed her forehead. "And I'm just as scared as you are right now, so I think it would be a good idea to take this slow, at least until this whole case is over. What do you think?"

She smiled a bit, hugging my neck and putting her head back on my chest.

"I'd like that, Nick," she whispered. "I really would."

I hugged her back, reaching for the window to roll it up. We'd just started through the tunnel to Tundra Town, it wouldn't be much longer. She sighed into my shirt, curling up as much as she could in her dress. It was hard to keep my paws from wandering, a small gasp coming from her as I dug my claws in to keep them still. The dress fit her perfectly, and left me imagining all kinds of ways to get her out of it. I bit back a groan, hoping she didn't feel the shiver that bolted through me.

She did.

"Nick, is something wrong?"

I froze, then shook my head.

"Just getting antsy, Fluff, I don't usually sit in one place this long."

The idea came out of nowhere, and it was just too good to pass up.

"And I have to say, as great as you look in red," I leaned in closer, my nose brushing her ear. I couldn't resist giving it a small lick. "I think you look even better in blue."

It had just the effect I wanted: the blush in her ears spreading to her cheeks as she buried her face in my jacket.

"N-No fair," she muttered. "You're so much better at this than I am!"

I chuckled, my paw slipping under her caplet to lay on her waist.

"Comes with the territory, Carrots," I almost nuzzled the top of her head, stopping myself at the last second. I'd just promised her we'd take things slow, and when the hell did I get so affectionate, anyway? She giggled, pulling away to look at me.

"Be honest," she said. "How many times has that silver tongue of yours gotten you in trouble?"

I laughed again.

"More than I'll ever admit," I put my paws behind my head. "But it's gotten me out of just as many scrapes, if not more."

She rolled her eyes, punching my shoulder.

"That ego of yours is going to be a problem, I know it," she smirked. "But I'm sure you'll find some of my little quirks just as annoying."

I smiled, pulling her back to me.

"Like the fact you always have to get the last word in?" I rotated my shoulder; the only hit that had actually hurt had been her gut-punch at the hospital. "Or that you might just be the most violent bunny I've ever met?"

She giggled.

"You know you love me."

I stiffened, so she _had_ heard that. I smirked again, looking down at her.

" _Do_ I know that?" I tapped her nose with mine. "Yes, I think I do."


	40. Chapter 40

_This was the last place I'd ever expected to see my dad, but with how things had gone the last few years, I guess I should've seen it coming. I was sixteen today, and they'd finally let me leave Meadowbrook for a while to see him. Mom wasn't there, the nurses had all said she'd stopped visiting months ago, and Tony was doing six years in the big house. I had no idea what he was in for, and I honestly didn't give a shit, just as long as I didn't have to see his face._

 _I reached up and rubbed the collar stuck around my neck. Someone had already killed four preds with the damn things, but they still made us wear them. I didn't even really feel the shocks from mine anymore, I got so pissed off at everything at Meadowbrook I'd just learned how to tune the pain out. The only other fox there, a real whiz-kid, had also hacked into both of ours and turned the shocks down. Not enough to really be noticed get anyone, but enough that our hearts wouldn't explode if the shocks lasted more than ten seconds._

 _I felt a paw on my shoulder, looked up to see a jaguar staring down at me. One of the first preds allowed in an actual medical school. I turned back to my dad, trying to cry, but I just didn't feel anything, couldn't even remember the last time I had._

 _"_ _H-He's not gonna make it this time, is he?"_

 _The doc shook her head, but I could tell she didn't care much either._

 _"_ _No, I'm sorry, son," she looked at him. "I'm afraid his liver just can't take any more, and he's too far gone for a transplant."_

 _That was what I didn't get. Dad had never been a drinker, in fact he'd always hated any kind of booze, but then overnight he'd gotten addicted to the shit. We'd all tried to get him back, but anything we did had just pushed him away more._

 _"_ _Your mother's given her permission to pull the plug," the lion went on. "I'll give you a moment to say goodbye."_

 _She walked out before I could say anything. I swallowed, then walked to the bed, staring down at an animal I barely even knew. His hair was falling out all over the place, and he was so scrawny his skin seemed to hang off him. Was this really the same zebra I'd seen tackle rhinos and tigers and win? The one who never gave up, no matter how hard things got?_

I can't believe it…

 _It wasn't the first time I'd seen him like this, but as close as those shaves had been, he'd never gotten anywhere near this bad. To the point where the only things keeping him alive were the machines he was stuck to. But as much as it shocked me, scared me, I still couldn't cry. I'd sobbed my head off after Fin had died, when they'd barely managed to bring Mom back, when she and Dad had dropped me at Meadowbrook just a few days after I'd turned fourteen. But that Nick Wilde, that scared little kit was long gone, and in his place was a fox just as sly and cold as we were always accused of being. A fox part of me still said I didn't wanna be, but I'd stopped listening to that voice a long time ago. I was in the real world now, where caring about anyone but yourself was the fastest way to get you killed._

 _And that was never gonna be part of the plan._

* * *

"So, are you ever going to tell me who your godfather is?"

I'd been staring out the window the last ten minutes, tuning out Carrots' questions. I was thinking about the years I'd spent working for my godfather, taking my birth dad's place in the lineup. And according to everyone who'd known him, I'd done a damn good job.

That didn't mean I was completely proud of it. I'd never had to take care of anything too messy, the old male had seen to that himself, but I'd still taken part in things I never would have otherwise, all because I was so desperate to not be on the streets. I'd tried going back to my mom, several times, but it had never worked, and by the time I'd been eighteen I'd cut ties with her almost completely. The last time I'd talked to her was when she'd been in hospice, lung cancer from living with Dad's smoking habit so long, and all I'd been able to do was apologize. For not being the son they'd wanted, for causing so much trouble for them, for not being there when she'd needed me most.

And all she'd done was smile, nuzzle me on the head like she'd done so many times when I was a kid. Then she'd started crying, saying nothing was my fault, that they should've done something about Tony earlier. She'd also said that, no matter what'd happened in the past, or what would come in the future, she'd be proud of me. She'd called me a good boy, and all it had done was rip my heart out.

But I'd never gotten the chance to tell her the truth.

I shook my head, shoving the thoughts away. I had something a lot more important to focus on right now.

"You'll find out soon enough," I looked down and managed to smirk at her. "We're almost there."

Less than a minute after I said that, we stopped in front of the tallest buildings in Tundra Town: the High Water Hotel. Don't let the name fool you, it was a pretty ritzy place, and one of my godfather's favorite places to do business. It was also where his family had gotten married since they'd put down roots in the city. Preds of all sizes and species stepped out of a line of high-end cars, the sleek paint jobs gleaming in the light spilling out of the hotel. The preds hadn't spared any expense on themselves, either, and while it was easy to take second glances at some of them, I really only had eyes for one of them: a certain bunny who was pretty much the only prey there.

She spent a few more seconds gawking than I did, her tail and ears high and flicking in excitement, but then she froze, dropping to her knees under the window. She gulped.

"Y-You didn't tell me Silano Big was going to be here!"

I looked, seeing two polar bears that towered over almost everyone else, one on each side of the entrance. Raymond and Kevin, who'd pretty much been my babysitters when I'd lived at the mansion, Kevin holding a tiny leather chair that even I could barely see. I turned back to Carrots and gave her a guilty smile.

"Uh, Silano Big's my godfather," I rubbed the back of my head. "Surprise!"

She just stared at me before groaning loudly, dropping her face in her paws.

"Freaking carrot sticks!"


	41. Chapter 41

I'd never been so scared of a bunny in my life. Carrots stood in front of me with her arms crossed, glaring at me so hard I was surprised I could face it.

"Why didn't you freaking tell me your godfather was one of the biggest criminals in the country?!"

Her high-pitched shouting just made things worse. I groaned, taking my paws off my ears.

"Because I knew exactly what you'd think about it," I narrowed my eyes. "And he's the biggest reason even more preds aren't stuck on the streets. He gives us chances when hardly anyone else even looks at us!"

I didn't notice how close I'd gotten to her until our noses touched, but it didn't do much to cool me off, not this time.

"Look," I blew out a breath, forced myself to calm down. I glanced at Paul and Mercy, motioning for them to head in without us. They hesitated, a low growl finally sending them out. I turned back to Carrots. "We both know the story that's spread about this town, how we all get along and sing Kumbaya, and we both know it's complete bullshit. This town's only on your side if you're the right species; it helps a bit if you've got bank, but even the poorest prey are better off than a lot of preds."

I turned to glare at the row of seats facing ours.

"And I've explained it all to you before: the wrong side of the law is the easiest way for us to get off the streets, and the only way that's gonna change is if prey decide to stop treating us like trash," I turned back to her. "And we both know that's never gonna happen, not in the way it needs to."

I hated seeing pain in her eyes, and this time, she didn't even try to hide it like she always did. She screwed around with her caplet, her dress, keeping her flighty little stare anywhere but me. When she finally did look at me, her eyes were hard, filled with determination.

"That's exactly why I decided to transfer here after we solve this case," she said. "I want to help predators get the rights and privileges they should've had right from the start, even if I have to change one mind at a time to do it."

She walked up to me, putting her paws on my chest and pushing me back against the seat.

"I'm not going to let you guys keep fighting alone," her voice cracked a bit, but she threw up a smile. "And who knows, this case may be just what we need to really get the ball rolling!"

All I could do what stare at her; I'd heard prey talk that way before, but they never meant it, believed in it quite like she did. Even I was starting to think we could actually make a difference. I smiled.

"Okay, I'll be part of this little crusade of yours, Fluff, if you do one thing for me first."

She looked at me, then nodded.

"Yes, anything."

Fighting back tears, I tugged her down, hugging her as tight as I could.

"That you'll stay next to me, no matter what happens."

I heard her sniffle, felt her nose burrow through the fur on my neck.

"Of course I will, Nick, you don't even have to ask."

I felt her shift again, and the next thing I knew, my paw was on her ass, her mouth crushed against mine. I couldn't stop myself from moaning into it; I've kissed girls before, obviously, probably a thousand by now, but it had never felt like this, it had never meant this much. Not since…

She pulled away first, her ears burning red when they dropped to her back. Her eyes were wide, almost scared when she looked at me again.

"I-I've wanted to do that since high school," she tugged an ear over her shoulder and nervously stroked it. "A-And right after I asked if we could take things slow. I-I'm sorry, Nick, I don't know what-"

I ran my thumb over her bottom lip, cupping her chin as I leaned forward to kiss her again. Her paws tightened on my shirt before sliding up, her arms wrapping around my neck as I pressed my teeth lightly to hers. I ended it with a small lick to her lips, smirking as I stared at her twitching nose and big, sparkling eyes.

"Three months is long enough to take things slow, don't you think?"

She giggled, her blush fading a bit.

"Do I think that?" she hugged me again, snuggling into my chest. "Yes, yes I do."

* * *

"Ah, Nicky, I was hoping you would come."

I chuckled, leaning close to the shrew as he kissed both my cheeks. He'd done it since I was a kid, and while I never really got it, it felt nice he'd always liked me enough to do it.

"I wouldn't have missed it, sir," I was never sure what else to call him. I rubbed the back of my neck. "And I'm sorry I haven't come around more, it's just been pretty crazy, especially lately."

He nodded, waving a paw toward the doors.

"Yes, I understand, son," he stopped when he saw Carrots. She'd stood silently through the whole exchange, her paw tucked in the crook of my arm. Her claws dug in a bit as he watched her, but other than that she looked calm and collected as always. "And who might this be?"

"My name's Judy Hopps," she stepped closer, holding out a finger to shake his paw. "I'm a close friend of Nick's, but I'm afraid he hasn't told me much about you."

She glanced sidelong at me; I cleared my throat, messing with the knot of my tie. It just got worse when I felt Mr. Big's stare on me.

"Is that so? Well, we'll just have to correct that now, won't we?" he turned back to her. "Now let us take this conversation inside, this old fur doesn't handle the cold as well as it used to."

We followed Raymond and Kevin inside The little 'talk' we'd had in the car had made it so we were the last ones in; she edged closer to me as animals openly stared at us, most of them with complete disgust. I wouldn't be surprised if most of them knew she was a cop, that press conference had been on the news over a week after all, but I was sure more of it had to do with the fact she was a bunny. She was a bunny and I was a fox, two species no one really liked, coming late to a fancy place like this and getting cozy with the boss right off the bat. But besides a few passing glances I didn't pay any attention to them; what did I care how they felt about it? All that mattered to me was Judy, and if she was happy, so was I.

"I-I'm sorry to say the wedding isn't the only reason we're here, sir," she was standing as close to Big as she could, her voice low. "I-I'm afraid we do have another reason for being here."

I froze, hoping to God she hadn't just signed her own death warrant. As great as Big and his family had always been to me, I didn't have any illusions how ruthless they could be, if the several icings I'd overheard and even walked in on were anything to go by. I started to tug her away, muttering some excuse about how we had to find Paul and Mercy, but what my godfather did next stopped me dead.

"I thought that would be the case, Officer," he was actually calm. I couldn't believe it. "That was part of the reason I was so insistent that Nicky show up tonight. I wish to help you in your investigation, in any way that I can."

I couldn't stop the sigh of relief that blew out of me, even as guilt crashed over me. I never should've doubted he'd agree to help us; he'd always hated anything to do with drugs, especially when kids were involved. And despite what he did to stay on top of a criminal empire, he really wasn't bad. He didn't trust mammals easily, but once you earned it, you were pretty much family, and he never turned his back on his family.

"Thank you so much, sir," she had a big, grateful smile on her face. He held up a paw.

"It's my pleasure, child, but let us worry about business later," he looked up at Kevin. "I still have a daughter to give away, after all."

She waved as the bear walked away, Raymond going back to stand by the doors. She jumped up and hugged me, almost sending us both to the floor.

"Oh, Nick, this is incredible! This might be the last piece we need to solve this case!"

I chuckled, holding her just as tightly before putting her down.

"I know, I can't really…" I trailed off, looking around. That feeling from the dock was back, though a bit less than before, along with that scent I still couldn't quite place. But I couldn't tell where any of it was coming from. No one was even glancing at us now, like they'd forgotten we were even there, but my fur refused to lay flat, my ears perked and twitching like Carrots' always were.

 _And this smell…_ I knew I'd been around it before, I had some kind of vague, blurry picture in my head, but no matter what I tried I couldn't get it clear. I shoved the thoughts back when her paw tightened on my arm again, her voice small and concerned when it finally broke through.

"Nick, are you okay?"

I started to shake my head, then forced myself to nod. I wasn't even fifty percent sure about this, no point in worrying her over it. I put a paw over hers and kissed the tip of her ear, chuckling again when I felt her tense and shiver.

"I'm doing just fine, sweetheart," I turned to the crowd that had started spilling into the hall. "Now, c'mon, we've still got a long, boring wedding to sit through."

She stifled a snort with her paw.

"Don't let the bride hear you say that, Slick, you wouldn't get out alive."

I flashed a smug smile, licking her ear before biting it. She pressed her paw to her mouth again, part of the moan still slipping out.

"I survived twelve years on the streets and three months with a kick-ass bunny cop," I murmured. "I think I can handle one little shrew."


	42. Chapter 42

The whole ceremony didn't last as long as I thought it would, though it was probably because it was the last thing I was thinking about. I couldn't get my mind off that scent, the fact I seemed to know it but didn't have any real memory of it. Where had I smelled it before, and why did it scare me so much?

 _What the hell's going on here?_

I felt a paw on my arm, looking to see Carrots staring at me. My heart started racing when I remembered what I'd admitted to her earlier tonight, what we'd done just before coming inside. Most of me wanted to just keep riding that high, to forget Baby Blues and everything connected to it, and just take this bunny and run off with her. Someplace we'd never have to worry about what other animals thought, where I'd never stop showing her how much she meant to me. I leaned forward and nuzzled her ear, hoping she could hear me over all the cheering.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," I put on a smile, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Just getting antsy again."

She pulled away and stared at me, completely unbelieving. Should've known I couldn't use _that_ excuse twice in one night.

"I know you better than that, Slick," she said. "You've said yourself this is what happens when you get nervous, remember?"

I silently cursed, I just couldn't keep my big mouth shut during interviews. I waited until most of the crowd had passed us, heading to wherever the reception was, hoping for a second alone to tell her what'd been bugging me.

"I've been picking up that smell from the docks," I started quietly. "But I still have no idea why it's so familiar and it's driving me nuts."

I blew out a breath.

"I wasn't sure if it was actually connected at first," I went on. "That it was just some freak coincidence. But smelling it here, now, there's no doubt who or whatever it belongs to is involved."

She wrapped her arms around mine, leaning against me.

"We still have to talk with Mr. Big," she said. As well as she hid it, I could tell she was scared. "M-Maybe he could give us some insight on that."

"Maybe," I looked around, seeing we were the only ones left in the room. I got up and took her paw, her claws digging in slightly as it twitched. "C'mon, we shouldn't drag too far behind, I don't want Fru-Fru knowing we've got ulterior motives for coming."

She perked up a bit.

"I still can't believe she's Mr. Big's daughter," she hugged herself. "We were roommates and best friends in college, and she never told me anything about this!"

She'd told me that just before we'd gotten out of the car, it was one of the last things I'd expected to hear.

"That's not exactly something an animal can just throw around," I told her. "How do _you_ think mammals would react if you told them your dad was one of the biggest crime bosses ever?"

She looked at me a second, then cringed.

"Guess you have a point there," she rubbed her arm, her ears falling again. "Still, we talked about _everything_ else, I even told her the first dream I had about _you_!"

She froze, throwing a paw over her mouth.

"Oh, sweet cheese and crackers," she turned away, her ears flaring. "D-Did I really just say that? Out _loud_?!"

I tried not to chuckle, too much.

"Sure did, Fluff, and as I much as I'd _love_ to hear about it," I bent down, biting the base of her ear and making them both shoot straight up. "We still have to talk to my godfather. We _do_ have a big case to solve, after all."

She kept staring at the rows of chairs across the aisle, muttering something about 'stupid, sly foxes' before stomping toward the door, dragging me along with her. She stopped just before we got to the hall, snapping around to glare at me.

"And just so we're clear, _fox,_ " she grabbed my tie and yanked me down to her level. I didn't even try to resist. "When we get back to your place, you are in _so_ much trouble."

My eyes flicked from the tips of her ears to her feet, then back to her face. She was blushing pretty hard, her eyes bright with annoyance. But it was hard to miss how she bit her lip, her whole body trembling as her scent spiked a bit. I flashed a smile, one a lot of magazines had started calling 'every girl's weakness', before leaning closer to kiss her twitching nose.

"Once we solve this thing, I'll let you do whatever you want to me," I grabbed her hips and hauled her up, holding her so her head was just above mine. I put the grin on full-blast. "As long as I get to do the same thing to you after."

And just like that, her resolve broke, the cutest little whine slipping out as she wriggled against me. I brought her down just enough for my mouth to brush hers, nipping her bottom lip before setting her back on her feet. She clenched the paw not wrapped around my tie, glaring up at me.

"Y-You dirty, sneaky little…" she trailed off, growling as she yanked me down again, crushing her mouth to mine before shoving me back. I barely caught myself on my paws, rubbing my tail as I got back up.

"Okay, guess my teasing went a bit too far…"

She huffed, turning her back to me and storming off.

"You're damn right it did, and you better just be glad we're in a public place," she glowered at me over her shoulder. "Otherwise I'd do things you'd never thought a bunny could do, especially to a fox."

I gulped, as turned on by the threat as I was terrified of it. I straightened myself out before following her, trailing behind to keep me out of the warpath. But I couldn't stop myself from staring at her tail as it twitched, and I knew she was putting that extra sway in her hips on purpose. If there was one thing she'd quickly learned how to do, it was giving me a taste of my own medicine, and I couldn't figure out if I hated or loved that fact more.

 _She_ is _getting pretty good at this,_ I ran a paw through my hair, grabbing the fur on the back of my neck. _I better be careful, or who knows what she might do to me…_

I bit back a growl, deciding I couldn't wait to find out.

 _You're in for a_ lot _of surprises, bunny..._


	43. Chapter 43

"Did you and Judy have a fight or something after you kicked us out of the car?"

Paul looked down at me, swirling his drink around. We were sitting off to the side, watching the rest of the party play out: the Big family on a table set up in the middle of the room, the bigger guests milling around it either dancing or talking. Carrots and Mercy were the closest to it, Fru-Fru standing on the edge, the three of them just having a grand time. The bunny hadn't even glanced at me since she'd stormed out of the other hall. I looked down at my own glass, really just sparkling cider they'd brought in for the few kids unlucky enough to be dragged along. I'd already screwed up more than once tonight, I wasn't about to add 'getting drunk on the job' to that list.

"Something like that," I muttered, taking a sip. "She was kinda ticked I never actually said who my godfather was."

He groaned.

"No surprise there, it took ten years for you to tell me that."

I chuckled, the sound just kinda dropping off as I went back in time. I hadn't really had too much to do with the Bigs the first few years after I'd been adopted. Sure, I saw them once in a while, they'd been old friends with my birth _and_ adoptive dads, but I'd been kept completely in the dark on how that had actually happened. At least, until a few months after I'd turned nine.

I'd run out of my Junior Ranger Scouts meeting after the other kids had shoved me to the floor and muzzled me, slumped to one side of the steps after tearing the damn thing off and throwing it as far as I could. Then I'd just sat there crying, had completely lost track of time when one of Big's cars had pulled up, Raymond climbing out and kneeling on the sidewalk. He'd held out his paws and I hadn't thought twice about running to him, hearing the low rumbling of either a growl or some kind of bear-purr thing as he'd climbed back into the car. They'd just picked Fru-Fru up from a school dance, and she hadn't wasted any time trying to make me feel better, as impossible as I'd thought it was at the time.

Big had been waiting for us when we'd gotten to their mansion, just a few miles from the old plantation house where my family lived. I'd tried not telling him anything at first, but that hadn't lasted long, and before I'd known it I'd been spilling my guts to him. I wasn't really sure what I'd expected, but the comforting talk he'd given me afterward hadn't really been it. He'd said he'd wished I could've stayed stupid about how much prey actually hated us, at least until I'd been a little older. I'll admit I hadn't really gotten it at the time, I mean, I'd been adopted by prey, me and my little brother, Finn. But the Clandestines were a pretty rare thing among prey, they just didn't care what kind of animal you were, all that mattered was what you did, how you treated the mammals around you. Something they'd done well in teaching me and Finn, but hadn't quite succeeded with where Tony was concerned. I'd tried asking him what that meant, but all he'd said was there were just some mammals predisposed, or hard-wired to hate, and there wasn't really anything we could do about it.

The next turn in things had caught me even more off-guard. He'd promised to teach me how to deal with the hatred and distrust thrown at us, how to protect myself and everyone else who had to deal with it. All he'd need from me was a little white lie to my mom, that I'd say I was going to scout meetings when I'd really be coming here. He had a friend in the troop, he'd said, one that would make sure our little secret wouldn't get out. We'd kept that up until I was sixteen, when I'd cut ties with my family almost completely and moved in to the Big's mansion, their mansion and their way of life.

"Nick? Hey, you in there, bud?"

I blinked and shook my head, feeling Paul's paw on my shoulder. He had that look on his face again, the one that meant I'd been out of it for who knows how long.

"Damn it," my claws dug into my fingers as I tightened my grip on my glass; this was already setting up to be a long night. "I really need to find some way to stop that. Sooner or later, it'll happen at the exact wrong time and leave one or more of us screwed."

He looked at me again.

"Well, we'll just have to have your back then, won't we?"

I couldn't stop the chuckle that slipped out, weak as it was.

"Yeah, I guess."

We just sat there for a while after that, watching the room and keeping an eye out for anything that didn't quite fit. I still hadn't picked up on the source of that smell, and I still couldn't figure out what it was about it that set me on edge. All I did know was, if I didn't figure out, we'd hit a brick wall, one I was sure we wouldn't get past.

"What's going on, Mercy?"

I looked up to see her walking toward us, twisting her glass between her paws.

"I-It's Judy," she said when she reached us. "I-I think something's wrong. One minute, she was just fine, then the next she looked like she was about to start crying. She said she was going up to the roof for a while."

Paul and I glanced at each other, it was hard to miss the fear that'd jumped into his eyes. I set my drink on the closest table and got up, messing with my jacket to hide my nerves.

"I'll go check on her, you guys keep an eye on things here."

Paul threw up the salute, smirking.

"You got it, boss."

* * *

Most buildings in Tundra Town were only ten or twelve stories, so at fifteen, being on top of High Water gave you a pretty good view of the district. The roof itself was split down the middle, the half facing the street open to the snow, the other half covered in thick glass tall enough for polar bears to stand in. The hotel was also one of the few buildings not made of ice bricks, so they'd installed some solar-powered heat vents along the edge, keeping that side warm enough to use as an indoor garden. I found Carrots sitting on one of the several-sized gliders scattered around, staring up at the sky with her paws in her lap and a sad look on her face.

"Never thought you'd be one to run from trouble."

She jumped, her ears falling back down when she saw it was just me. She sighed, grabbing her dress, turning away when I sat next to her.

"I-I just don't do well with crowds," she muttered. I chuckled.

"Didn't expect that from you, miss 'I've got three hundred siblings'."

She scoffed.

"That's different, they're family," she waved a paw toward the door. "I've never even _seen_ most of the animals in there before, or the…"

She trailed off. I should've known that's what the problem was. I sighed, putting an arm around her and pulling her close to me.

"Never let them see that they get to you, Fluff, remember?"

She nodded, leaning against me.

"I know, that's why I came up here," she swiped at her eyes. "A-And I didn't want to risk ruining your night with my crying."

I hugged her more tightly.

"Hey, you're just as important to me as they are," I told her. "Maybe even more. I'm not just gonna let you go cry in a corner by yourself."

I rubbed her arm, realizing her caplet was hung over the back of the glider, the lights from the city catching her eyes and fur, making her dress look darker than it really was.

"And it's probably just because I'm half-hammered right now," I smirked, leaning closer to her. "But I really think you look great tonight."

She rolled her eyes.

"You told me that in the car already," she pushed away from me. " _And_ you haven't had a drop of alcohol tonight, Slick, so don't go trying to p-"

She cut off when I kissed her, her breath hitching when I pulled her down with me, so I was lying against the side rail with her on top of me. She pulled away and stared down at me, her eyes heating up in a way I was starting to love. She smiled, giggling.

"I guess being alone with you isn't _so_ bad," she murmured, then came down and kissed me. There wasn't much holding back this time, her tongue playing with mine while her paws messed with my shirt, throwing my tie over my shoulder as she unbuttoned it, my fur standing on end when she ran her fingers through it.

I groaned, breaking the kiss to lick along her neck, feeling her tense and tremble the closer I got to her chest.

"O-Oh, Nick…" she whimpered when I stopped, gasping as I nipped at her collar bone, slipping a paw under her dress to drag my claws up her leg. I kissed her again, going as slow as I could, tracing some mindless pattern in the fur on her thigh when she suddenly snapped up, the heat in her eyes going cold as her ears swiveled, before dropping flat against her back.

"Oh, uh, h-hey, Paul…"

I stared at her before a shadow passed over us, a low growl mixed with light panting. I tilted my head back, shrinking back when Paul's glare hit me. I gulped.

"W-What's going on?"

He shrugged stiffly.

"Oh, nothing," he flashed his teeth in a pissed off sneer, stabbing a claw toward the door he'd just run through. "Except while you two have been up here sucking face, Mercy's been down there going savage!"

* * *

 _Well, that rooftop scene wasn't their first, or even second kiss like I'd planned (for weeks!), but at least I didn't have to toss all of it!_


	44. Chapter 44

I could tell Carrots was thinking the same thing I was: _please tell me this is just a bad joke. A really, really bad joke._

None of us stopped running until we were back at the reception hall, my whole body going numb when I heard what was going on inside: animals crying, some of them even screaming, crazed growling that faded into whimpers before stopping completely. Paul glared down at us as he went for the handles, almost yanking them off.

"You're lucky Big's made his bears start carrying tranq-guns," he snapped, then threw the doors open. I couldn't stop a gasp from slipping out; it looked like a bomb had gone off. Pretty much anything that could be was toppled or thrown over, curtains and tablecloths ripped up, anything breakable pretty much shattered. There was only one mammal not crowded against the walls, Mercy slumped on her side in the middle of the room, her dress clawed to shreds, two darts stuck in her arm. It didn't take long to figure out who had shot her: Kevin was holding Mr. Big and Fru-Fru in one paw, the other still up and holding the tranq-gun. "Or who knows how much worse this would be…"

It was a minute or two before the panic died down, and then all we could hear were mammals whispering, sneering and pointing at us in ways that were anything but subtle. I felt Carrots' claws dig into my paw, glancing down to see her shaking, her other paw pressed to her mouth. Her ears were flat against her back as she stared around.

"D-Did Mercy really do all this?"

She shrank behind me when Paul glowered at her.

"Check the damn cameras if you have to see it yourself," he snapped, then turned on me. "You just had to get involved in all this, didn't you? Play 'hero to the preds' like you always have to, and _now_ look where it's gotten us, asshole!"

He growled and jumped at me, but ended up getting shoved to the floor by Raymond.

"Attacking him won't fix her, cat," he said flatly. I'd never heard his voice break from that monotone, not even once. "Or do I have to make Kevin tranq you, too?"

Paul snarled at him, but stopped fighting, and in a few minutes the bear let him back up. He shoved out a breath like he'd just been sucker-punched. He glared at us one last time, then stormed off, dropping to his knees next to Mercy and dragging her into his lap. Raymond stayed close on his tail, Kevin coming over to me and Carrots, still keeping hold of his gun.

"Was anyone hurt?" I asked before any of them could talk. Fru-Fru shook her head.

"No, Nicky, we're all fine," she looked over at Mercy and Paul. "But I have no idea what happened to her, she just took a sip from a drink someone bought her and-"

"Wait, what?!" I turned on her, backing off when she cowered a bit. "Sorry, but do you have any idea who bought it for her? What kind of animal were they?"

She shook her head again.

"Whoever they were, we didn't see them, one of the waiters just came up and said they had a special drink for her."

My tail flicked as I looked down at Carrots, and I knew we were thinking the same exact thing.

"Take Fru-Fru and see if you can track down that waiter," I told her. "We've got to find out who that guy was, and fast!"

She nodded, barely letting Fru walk onto her paw before running off. I turned to Mr. Big, still sitting in his tiny leather chair like always.

"My private doctor will be here soon," he said. "He and Paul will bring Mercy to the hospital, you and I have our own matters to discuss."

I nodded, glancing back toward Raymond. He was still standing close to Paul, but I could see his eyes tracking Carrots; hopefully he and the rest of the crew would be enough to keep things under control. I followed Kevin to Mr. Big's office, and I knew whatever he had found out was even bigger than I'd thought it would be. It hadn't changed much from the last time I'd been in there: still pretty dark, a chill coming from the 'icing pit' hidden under the rug in front of the desk. I waited until they were both situated, Kevin sitting behind the desk and Mr. Big's chair on top of it. I swallowed, my tail starting to twitch as I tried not to imagine what he had to tell me.

"As I promised, I looked in to this new drug on the streets, but sadly I was unable to find out much more than you have already discovered for yourselves."

"Oh," my ears fell against my head, my tail slumping to the floor. "Well, t-thank you anyway, sir, I-I'm sure we'll-"

"However," he held up a paw to stop me. "I was able to find and trace the latest batch to come into the city, and I'm afraid this situation may be even worse than we thought."

He paused to breathe, and it was the first time I noticed that it rasped a bit, that I realized just how old he was getting.

"This particular batch," he went on after another minute. "It originated in Bunnyburrow."

* * *

"B-B-Bunnyburrow?"

Carrots looked completely shell-shocked. After my talk with Mr. Big, he'd asked Kevin to take me to All Saints, where I was forced to see all the savage victims at once. Counting Mercy, there'd been eight more attacks since we'd figured out it was a drug causing all this, and in my opinion, that'd been eight too many.

"Yeah, or at least that's the closest he was able to get before it reached the city," I shrugged, then let my shoulders drop. "Even with his network, it was almost impossible to trace, so that just proves whoever's behind this _really_ knows what they're doing."

She nodded, then glanced around, rubbing her arm.

"S-Some of the guests are in the waiting room downstairs," her voice was low, tight. "I-I should go talk to them, see if any of them saw something that might help."

"Good idea," I put a paw on her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

She nodded again, glancing up at me with wet eyes before heading slowly for the elevators. I felt like someone had filled my gut with rocks, jagged, razor-sharp rocks. I waited until she was out of sight before turning to Paul, staring into Mercy's room with his forehead pressed against the window. According to Mr. Big's doctor, a lemur who'd patched me up almost as much as Doc Muskrat, he'd been standing there since they'd brought her in. She was still under the effects of Kevin's tranqs, but she was still strapped paw and foot to the bed, just in case they wore off sooner than the white coats thought. That stony feeling in my stomach just got worse, that screwed-up voice in my head telling me it was all my fault. I clenched my teeth and did my best to shut it up.

"We'll have to go to Bunnyburrow," I barely noticed I'd said it out loud. I shoved my paws in my pockets, my claws digging in as my fists tightened. "Hopefully we'll finally be able to put an end to this."

I turned away, not able to look anymore, stopping when I noticed Paul hadn't moved. I looked up at him.

"Paul, you coming?"

It was a while before he said anything. I took my paws from my pockets and walked back to him.

"No, I can't leave Mercy," he finally turned away from the glass. His face was blank, his voice flat, but his stare was one of the coldest I'd ever seen. "And I can't really look at _you_ right now, either."

He might as well have just slugged me in the gut. I started reaching for his shoulder, clenching my fist again and forcing it back to my side.

"We'll find who's behind this," I started. "And then we'll find a cure, I promise."

He just scoffed quietly, already staring through the window again.

"You fucking better," he barely glanced at me, but it was hard to miss the fury that had boiled up. "Or Mercy and Trevor won't be the only ones going savage, and I won't even need some drug to do it."

I gulped, my tail smacking my thigh as it flew between my legs. I'd seen Paul ticked off or annoyed before, hundreds of times, but he'd never looked at anyone like that, like he was ready to kill them with his bare paws. I just nodded and backed away, my ears completely flat against my head; I didn't even turn until I was around the corner, hightailing it back to the waiting room, where Carrots was doing her best to get anything useful out of the mammals that had seen Mercy go savage. Not surprisingly, most of them weren't being much help. They were either still too freaked out by what they had seen, or were those that just hated prey, no matter who they were or how much they were trying to help.

"I don't have anything to say to you," a cheetah snapped at her. The cub in her lap was fussing, reaching for Carrots' ears, shaking from how hard she was trying to keep them perked.

"Please, ma'am," her voice was steady, though, but it was clear she'd practiced keeping that tone. "I'm an officer, and my associates and I are doing everything we can to find the mammal behind this and bring them to justice, if you could just tell me if you-"

"I already said I didn't," the cheetah glowered at her. "Now leave me alone, or I'm going to have the hospital staff call security and get you thrown out on the street where you belong!"

She got up and stormed away, smacking the rabbit in the face with her tail hard enough to knock her over. I was close enough now to see her clinch her eyes shut, her teeth almost tearing her lip off. But she was only down a few seconds before she grabbed her notepad and that weird carrot pen and got back to her feet, brushing herself off and fixing her dress like nothing had happened. But I could see how hard she was shaking, and she wasn't even trying to hold her ears up anymore. She threw on a smile when she saw me, though, almost skipping over to where I'd stopped dead.

"I don't think we'll be getting much more tonight," her tone was too bright. "Everyone's still in shock, but I gave a few of them my card so hopefully in the morning they'll…"

She trailed off, but kept smiling as she walked quickly past me, waving to the nurse at the front desk as we headed outside. That whole charade lasted until we were back in the car Kevin had brought me in, the bear not bothering to ask before pulling out of the lot. As soon as the hospital was out of sight, Carrots threw herself at me, sobbing into my chest like she'd never stop.

"Oh, N-Nick," she gasped, already choking on her tears. "I-I can't take it anymore! N-No matter what I do, I-I just can't-!"

She broke down again, the fit barely half-done when we reached my place. I picked her up and carried her inside, throwing up a paw toward Kevin before shutting the door. I sat with her on the couch, just holding her while she just kept letting it out.


	45. Chapter 45

_"_ _Didn't that sign only say thirty million last time we were here?" Dad asked. I climbed on the rail and looked out, seeing a big yellow sign with bunny ears and a lot of numbers. Tony was staring at it, too, like he'd done to me after I'd told Mom who'd kicked over her flower pot._

 _"_ _I'm surprised it's not even higher," he said. "All bunnies do is grow plants and screw."_

 _"_ _Tony!" Mom looked at him. He rolled his eyes._

 _"_ _It's true!"_

 _He turned away and crossed his arms, turning up his walkman until we could all hear it. He got like that whenever we went on long trips, Mom called it 'stir-crazy'. She shook her head and smiled at Dad, who was holding Finn. He was sleeping, like he'd been most of the train ride. I sat on the bar and looked up at Mom._

 _"_ _Why do Grandma and Grandpa live in Bunnyburrow?" I asked it every time we came, but no one ever gave me a real answer. I was almost ten, and they still treated me like a baby. She and Dad looked at each other, that look that said they were thinking up some kind of lie._

 _"_ _They just enjoy the quiet out here, son," Dad said. I could tell he didn't believe it much more than I did._

 _"_ _It's quiet at our house, too," I crossed my arms like Tony always did. "And we live a lot closer to the city than they do!"_

 _They just looked at each other again, Dad walking to the other side of the observation deck when Finn started waking up. Mom watched them for a while before looking at me, but I didn't give her a chance to talk this time._

 _"_ _You know what, just forget it," I jumped off the rail and sat on the floor. "I'll just ask Grandpa when we get there. At least_ he _never lies to me."_

It had taken a few more years to figure out they'd all been lying, and that I would've been way better off if I'd just let them keep doing it. But instead I'd kept going after them: listening in on conversations when I was supposed to be asleep or outside, sneaking into my dad's and grandpa's offices to try and find whatever they were trying to hide for myself. And when I finally did, I knew I'd never be able to look any of them in the eye again. Not without demanding why they'd done all that, and why they'd made it even worse by keeping it a secret.

It got so bad I ended up doing shitty in school, and I got in so many fights I'd had to get my collar put on early, or I would've been expelled and locked in juvie. I'd flunked out of eighth grade and broken about every bone in my body at least once when my parents finally decided they couldn't deal with it anymore, so they shipped me off to Meadowbrook. But my breakdown had only been one of the reasons, the other was they'd finally figured out what Tony had been doing, but I'd never been able to figure out what they'd ended up doing with him. All I did know was, by the time I got out when I was eighteen, he'd already been in the slammer three or four times, and his latest stint had seen him beat some guy almost to death.

I still had no idea what had caused his wires to cross, but at least now he was somewhere he couldn't hurt anyone but himself. Thank god for small mercies, I guess.

 _Mercy…_

I shut off the water and pressed my forehead against the wall. Mercy had been savage for almost two days, and it was all my fault. I couldn't just let the cops handle this like I should have, I had to care about my fans as much as I did and put all our tails on the line to find out why this was happening to them.

 _Starting to wish I really was cold and selfish as the press loves saying,_ I shoved the thought away almost before I'd finished thinking it. Even if I hadn't tricked Carrots into letting me in on this thing, Mercy still would've been targeted. After all, Trevor had been hit before we'd even known why this was happening.

 _You've come too far to back out,_ I slipped out of the shower and grabbed my towel, taking my time drying off. _Only thing to do now is finish it._

 _"And I won't even need some drug to do it."_

I shuddered. I could still feel Paul's blank stare on me, the completely flat way he'd talked freaking me out more than if he'd just screamed at me. I didn't know if he'd been in shock or what, but just wanting to never see him like that again would've been enough to keep me going on this. The fact there were over twenty families waiting for a cure was just extra incentive.

I tossed the towel on the counter and pulled on my sweats, wincing as I stuffed my tail through the hole in the back. One of the bigger animals at the wedding had "accidentally" stomped on it just before Carrots and I had left for the hospital. She and Fru-Fru hadn't found any sign of the waiter who'd brought Mercy that drink, or even the mammal who'd bought it for her in the first place. It didn't take a genius to figure out whoever it'd been was involved with the monster behind all this, or that they were still far from done. Four more preds had gone savage since I'd last checked, two of them just high-schoolers, and again they'd all listened to my band.

 _I've heard of crazy fans before,_ I grabbed the towel again and walked out, tilting my ears back as I rubbed them dry. _But this is just freaking insane!_

I stopped at the kitchen door, hearing Carrots on the other side. She'd been Muzzletiming her parents for over an hour now.

"I wish I could say this was just a social visit," she sounded like she'd tried saying it ten times already. "But I'm following a lead for a case, so I will be working most of the time I'm there."

I slipped into the kitchen, sticking to the edge when I saw her sitting on the back of the couch, staring at her phone. It didn't surprise me that she didn't mention me, it was clear she didn't have the patience for any of the questions it would've brought up.

 _"How long are you going to stay?"_ her mom asked. " _You know, the Harvest Fair's coming up, and I know a nice buck who'd love to go with-"_

"Mom," Carrots cut her off. "I've told you a hundred times I don't have any interest in the bucks you and everyone keep trying to set me up with, _especially_ after what happened last time."

There was a long, awkward pause, then her mom gasped.

 _"Sweet cheese and crackers, is it really that late? I still have to wash the dishes from dinner and put together lunches for tomorrow,"_ she talked like she didn't believe it any more than we did. _"We'll see you in a couple days, sweetheart, good night!"_

She hung up. Carrots groaned and slumped forward, her ears falling over her face.

"I love them and all, but they can be _so_ overbearing!" she pulled herself up and turned to look at me. "Did you know they actually tried to make me take a fox taser and repellent when I came here? I took the repellent just to calm them down, then as soon as the train started rolling I chucked it."

She threw her legs over the back and jumped down, tapping at her phone before shoving it in her pocket.

"And then just tonight they told me they work with the fox who bullied me when I was a kid," she walked toward me. "Gideon's a baker now, apparently one of the best in the Tri-Burrows."

She stopped in front of me and let her head drop to my stomach. She didn't even seem to notice she was still rambling.

"I mean, it's not like I care, that whole thing ended fifteen years ago, and we sort of made up just before I left. I mean, he said he was sorry and everything, but I really didn't care about it by then and I just-"

She finally shut up when I threw my towel at her, hitting her square in the face.

"I'm just gonna say you talk _way_ too freaking much sometimes," I looked down at her, then smirked. "And don't try giving me that 'pissed-off' look, you know I can't take it seriously."

She growled a bit and moved to slug me, gasping when I caught her fist. I chuckled, leaning closer to her.

"And you know you'd never beat me in a fight unless I let you," I caught her other paw when she tried again. I kissed her nose, which had started to twitch. "But I will say you look pretty hot when you're gearing up for a fight."

She stopped cold, her ears dropping behind her head, but not before I saw how dark they suddenly were. I laughed again, pulling her closer and trapping her in my arms. She grabbed my fur and buried her face in my chest; it was the first time I noticed how much she was shaking.

"You that nervous about heading home?" I asked. She shook her head.

"It's not that," she swallowed. "I-It's just…I don't even know…"

She looked up at me, and there was something in her eyes I just couldn't place. Whatever it was, it flashed out when she blinked.

"They used to have some pretty strong ideas about foxes," she went on. "Them working with Gideon is one thing, but I have no idea how they'll react when they found out I'm…"

She'd been dragging herself up as she talked, and I bent down the rest of the way to meet her. She whined a bit when I pulled away, and as adorable as it was, I wasn't about to fall for it.

"Sounds like we'll have some stuff to talk about when we get there," I hooked my paws under her and swept her up. "But no matter what comes up, remember the case is our first priority. We have to at least find a cure before more preds are drugged."

She nodded, tracing a claw along my snout.

"I know that, Nick, really I do, it's just," that emotion I couldn't quite get was back, and this time it didn't go away. She sighed. "I just don't want them to treat you badly, it scares me enough I don't even want to risk it, so I think it'd be best if I went alone."

I shook my head.

"No can do, Carrots, I'm not letting you do this by yourself," I took a breath. It was way past time I told her. "And after your close call with the sniper, Bogo kinda ordered me to be your bodyguard, and I've been doing a crappy job of that so far. I'm not about to let you leave the city without me."

I brought her down and kissed her, cutting off her protests before they even started.

"And I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you, especially after everything else that's happened," I smirked up at her. "So as much as I hate to say it, you're stuck with me, sweetheart."

She giggled, then hugged me.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way."


	46. Chapter 46

We spent most of the next morning at the precinct, filling the chief in on what had really happened at Fru-Fru's wedding, instead of whatever shit most of those animals had spit out. We also told him about the lead we'd picked up from Mr. Big, and he'd reacted just like I thought he would. Slamming his hooves on his desk and shooting to his feet to loom over it.

"You're taking one of my best officers out of the city on the word of a _criminal_?!"

I nodded.

"Mr. Big might be a criminal, but he cares about this city just as much as you do, _and_ he's one of the reasons I'm not dead right now. I've known him my whole life, I trust him," I sat back in the huge chair I shared with Carrots, crossing my arms. "He also hates drugs more than almost anything, so he does whatever he can to keep them out of the city, he wouldn't lie about this."

I knew the old buffalo didn't like me, and I could see his opinion dropping by the second. But he knew I was the biggest reason we'd gotten this far, so he didn't really have a leg to stand on if he wanted to fight against us. He stared blankly at us as he sat down, rubbing his eyes with a hoof when he threw out a hard sigh.

" _Fine,_ I will give you seventy-two hours, and if you crack this lead by then, I'll fast track the paperwork for your PI license, but if you _don't,_ " he focused on me, and it was hard to keep myself from shaking. "You are going to walk away from this case, and let my mammals do the job they were _trained_ to do, and you can forget having _anything_ to do with law enforcement in this or _any_ city. Understand?"

I heard Carrots gasp, felt her paw on mine. I held up the other to stop her from talking, never taking my eyes off the chief.

"Deal," I didn't give myself enough time to think twice about it, to doubt it. "But you can't count the time it takes to get there or back against us."

He glared at me again, then rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll give you that, _if_ you head out as soon as we're done here," he glanced at Carrots. "I will count on you to keep me updated, Hopps, and to keep this fox in line."

I knew she wanted to laugh, but she held it back, throwing up a crisp salute.

"Yes, sir!"

He nodded.

"Good, now stop wasting time and get out of my office!"

* * *

"Well, that looks like the last of it."

Carrots shut the trunk, hopped on top of it and slid into the passenger seat.

"Careful!" I smoothed my paws over the wheel. "This thing's a classic!"

She giggled.

"You better hope none of my siblings see it then," she tapped the screen on the dash and pulled up the GPS. "You'd be lucky if it was only in two or three pieces afterward."

She keyed in her parents' address, then grabbed my iPod from where I'd stashed it in a cup holder. She scrolled through it while I started the car, looking at me when I stopped to wait for the gate.

"You're a Purlock Holmes fan?"

I looked down at it, seeing the audiobook I'd put on it last week. I'd completely forgotten about it.

"Kind of," I smiled a bit. "My dad would read the stories if he was having trouble with a case, he said it helped him think about everything differently, made him see connections where he usually wouldn't have looked twice."

I shrugged.

"So I figured, if it worked for him, why not us?"

I sat back as she picked the audiobook and hooked my iPod up to the bluetooth. She cuddled up to me as the intro started playing, letting out this little purr as she rubbed her head against my arm.

"What's your favorite story?" she peeked up at me. "Mine's 'The Speckled Band'."

"Hmm," I put an arm around her, scratching the base of her ear. It had been a while since I'd read or listened to any of them.

"I guess it'd have to be 'The Empty House', it was pretty cool how they were able to fool that shooter."

"And how he was able to survive that fall," she sighed, pulling away as I hit the gas. "I really wish he were here now."

"Yeah, then this thing probably would've ended the day it started."

 _"In the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London…"_

"Hey, Nick?"

I kept my eyes on the road, but flicked an ear toward her. The GPS was taking us to one of the old highways that spiderwebbed out of the city, the one my parents took the few times we'd driven to Bunnyburrow instead of taking the train.

"I know that tone," I took my shades out of the cupholder and slipped them on. "You're worried we won't be able to do this in time."

I caught her nod from the corner of my eye.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about. I mean, it took us just over three months to get this far, and now we only have three _days_ to find the source of this drug and how it's getting into the city!"

I stopped at a red light, one of the last we'd see before hitting the tri-burrows. I glanced at her.

"He didn't really say anything about finding out how they're transporting it, we just have to find where they're making it," I smirked a bit. "And if Bunnyburrow's as boring as I remember, that won't be a problem."

She glared at me, the look fading into a confused one.

"You've been there before?"

I took off when the light changed.

"My grandparents lived out there," I pushed my hair back from my face. "We visited them a few times when I was a kid, even stopped by your parents' produce stand."

"How come I never saw you?" she grabbed my iPod and hit pause. I shrugged.

"We stopped going when I was twelve, that was the summer Finn…" I trailed off. Getting worked up behind the wheel of a car wasn't exactly smart. She brushed a paw down my arm.

"I've been curious about something," she tried to smile, and I silently thanked her for changing the subject. "How old are you, actually? It's pretty much the only thing the paparazzi _hasn't_ found out about you yet."

I managed to laugh a bit. I'd always thought it was funny how much mammals cared about stuff like that, like it really made any difference.

"I'll be thirty-two in January," I glanced at the screen to see if a turn was coming up, then sidelong at her. "What about you?"

She shrugged.

"I'm twenty-four, my birthday's in April."

We just kind of fell into silence after that. Eventually, Carrots grabbed my iPod and hit play again.

 _"As we made our way to the hospital after leaving the Holborn, Stamford gave…"_

I stopped listening, hitting the button to bring up the top when it started raining. Carrots wasn't the only one worried about how we were going to pull this off, but after everything we'd managed to do so far, I'd be more surprised if we didn't end up beating the time crunch. Our three days wouldn't start until we got there, and that would still leave part of the morning and the whole afternoon, not to mention the crazy night hours she'd no doubt have us pulling. But even if we didn't sleep again until we were back in the city, if it meant we broke this thing wide open, it'd be more than worth it.

"Wait, how can we be almost there already?" Carrots pulled me back to reality. "We just started!"

I laughed.

"I've had the cruise set to ninety for the last hour, Fluff," I turned it off when we started passing farms. "And we'd already wasted about thirty minutes before that."

Oh," she pulled out her phone and tapped out a few texts. "I just told my parents we'll be there soon, and to make sure as few of my siblings are around as possible, or we'll never get anywhere."

We hit her family's farm before much longer, and the only ones waiting for us were her parents and one of her brothers. I smirked when I saw their mouths drop open as I pulled to a stop, Carrots jumping out before I'd even turned the car off.

"Mom, Dad!" she jumped on the porch and hugged them. "Oh, I've missed you guys so much!"

"We've missed you too, sweetheart," her mom said, then looked up at me. "Oh, and who's your fri—wait, is that you, Nicolas?"

I chuckled.

"Yep, it's me, Mrs. Hopps."

"Well, I'll be," her dad pulled out of the hug and walked over to me. "You've shot up two feet since I last saw you!"

I laughed.

"It's only been about twenty years since then," I shook his paw. "It's great seeing you guys again!"

I looked over his ears at Carrots, who was talking excitedly to her mom. She smiled when she noticed me, her ears turning slightly darker. Then she glanced over at her brother, her face lighting up even more.

"Oh, Nick!" she grabbed the rabbit's paw and dragged him over. I crossed my arms, chuckling at the shocked look on the gray buck's striped face. "You've got to meet my brother, Jack!"

I chuckled again, stuffing my paws in my pockets.

"Oh, we've already met, Carrots," I said. "More than once by this point."

I held out a paw.

"You know how long it took us to find a bass player after you split, Savage?"

"Wait," she stepped back, staring back and forth at us. "What?!"


	47. Chapter 47

"My _brother_ was in my favorite band?!" Carrots still couldn't get past it. Her parents had already gone back inside, the three of us still standing in the field by my car. "How did I never know about it?!"

Jack groaned and facepalmed, glaring at me. I just smirked back.

"Because I didn't want anyone around here to know," he looked at her. "As open-minded as you've always been, Jude, I wasn't sure how you'd react if you found out I was in a band with a bunch of preds."

She sighed and shook her head.

"I've been working with them for months, Jack, ever since Trevor went savage. Paul and Mercy are some of my best friends now, and Nick is…" she trailed off, glancing at me. It was the first time I'd realized we'd never really said what we were. Her ears pinked up when she turned back to him. "Even closer than that. I've been in love with him since high school, and now he loves me, too."

I felt my whole face heat up as she talked, trying so hard to keep my tail from going crazy. Jack stared at her as she walked toward me, his mouth dropping open when she jumped in my arms and kissed me. I felt kinda guilty when I ended it earlier than I usually would've, but making out in front of her brother and possibly getting my ass kicked wasn't really on my bucket list. And from the look Savage gave me when I put her down, I was pretty sure he was close to doing just that. He slapped a paw over his eyes, dragging it down his face.

"Well, since _that_ came completely out of left field, you won't mind me saying I need some time to process it," he rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the sky. "And we better get inside, anyway, it's about to start pouring out here."

I didn't have to look up to know he was right. It'd stopped drizzling while we were on the road, but the clouds had just kept getting thicker, and now thunder and lightning were starting to go off over our heads. Carrots and I dragged our crap from my car and followed Savage inside; he was walking like he had a pole shoved up his ass.

"I'll see you guys later," his voice was just as stiff, and he took off around the next corner. I hooked my backpack over my shoulder, trying to keep my eyes off Carrots' tail as I followed her to the living room, where her parents were already waiting for us. Usually, I could read animals no problem, it was part of how I'd lasted so long on the streets, but Mrs. Hopps had always been one of the few exceptions. In fact, half the time she seemed to know what I was thinking before I did.

"So, Nicolas," she sounded a little disappointed. "Would you mind telling us why you just disappeared without a word?"

"And how you know my parents _and_ my brother?" carrots looked up at me in annoyance. I hesitated, glancing between them before turning to her dad. The old buck just shrugged and shoved his paws in his pockets: "sorry, son, you're on your own".

I shoved out a sigh, my backpack falling to the floor when my shoulders slumped.

"I still can't go into detail, but I found out something huge about my adoptive family," my ears dropped when I looked up at Mrs. Hopps. "And after that, knowing what really happened, I just couldn't face them anymore, or either of you. I cut myself off from almost everyone, and I don't think I'll ever be able to apologize enough for hurting you both like that."

I turned to Carrots, and managed to smile a bit.

"And as for Savage, well, he came to us. Trevor, Mercy and I were still getting the band together and were looking for a bass player," I chuckled. "We'd already gone through pretty much every one in the city, and right when we were about to pack it in, your brother showed up. Said he'd just moved to town and was looking for some extra cash. It was the first time I'd seen a guitar that small, but damn, did he know how to play it."

I smiled again, then shook my head.

"We asked him to join up right then and there, but he said we'd have to keep him off any merchandise that ended up having our faces plastered on it. Trevor's the one who came up with our name, though," I shrugged. "But then a few years ago, out of nowhere he said he just couldn't do it anymore, and the next day he was gone."

I crossed my arms, my tail starting to flick behind me.

"And to this day, none of us have any idea why, we'd never even known he'd even thought about quitting."

She just stared up at me before turning to her parents; they looked just as lost as she did. Her dad cleared his throat.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, how's the big city, Jude?"

Carrots shrugged.

"This case has kept me pretty busy since I got there, so I haven't really had a lot of time to experience it," she wrapped her arms around mine and leaned against me. "Nick, Paul and Mercy all made me feel so welcome, and so has almost everyone on the force, but…"

She trailed off, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she was leading up to. I took my arm out of her grip and wrapped it around her; she managed to smile up at me before swallowing, turning back to her parents.

"Something pretty… _big_ happened, and because of it, Chief Bogo only gave us a few days to find the source of the drug that's being used to target predators in the city, and I just don't know how we'll be able to do that," she shook her head, her ears dropping to her back. "But we're still going to do everything we can, there's too much at stake for us to just give up!"

Her parents glanced at each other. Her dad cleared his throat.

"A-And when you say 'a few', how many do you mean?"

Carrots messed with her shirt a second.

"Three."

I was sure if he'd had a drink, we would've seen a spit-take, if his dropped-mouth stare were anything to go by.

"T-Three?!"

"Oh, sweetheart," her mom looked at us. "That's not long at all, what does he think you can do in that short of a time?"

Carrots played with her shirt again, smiling kinda nervously.

"Well, technically, our time doesn't start until the chief knows we're here," she crossed her arms and looked up at me. "And if I'd noticed Nick here was speeding most of the time we'd still be on the road."

She waved a paw in the air when her dad started talking.

"And as much as I'd love to keep catching up, we really should get started, I want us to get as much as we can done before everyone comes home."

She grabbed my paw before anyone could say anything; I barely had time to grab my pack off the floor before she dragged me out of the room, and by the third or fourth turn I was completely lost. It was my first time in a bunny warren, and the never-ending, barely tall-enough-for-me hallways all looked exactly the same: faded yellow wallpaper, light wood doors rounded off like the ceiling lining both sides, and pretty much every one of them closed.

"My mom's had a few more litters since I left," Carrots finally stopped and pushed a door open. It was taller than the rest we'd passed, like it'd been made with slightly bigger animals in mind. But the room inside was pretty much what I'd expected: the same stone tile floor as the rest of this level, small, round windows facing east so the sunrise would wake up whoever was snoozing in the beds under them. And even they looked a little bigger than I'd expected; I dropped my pack next to one and took a load off. Carrots set her bag on the desk shoved against the next wall, her tail twitching as she started digging through it.

"I'm gonna go into town and ask if anything strange has happened lately," she pulled out the big Zip-Loc she'd put all her cop stuff in. "Mammals coming or going in the middle of the night, shipments of stuff that's not really needed around here…"

She stuck her badge and notepad in her pocket, tapping her cheek with her carrot pen as she turned to me.

"And I know you said you couldn't leave my side, but I really think it'd be best if you stayed here, at least for now," she walked toward me, her hips swaying more than usual, that hot glint flashing in her eyes. "The bunnies and other prey around here are used to foxes because of Gideon Grey and his family, but I don't think any of them are as _big_ and _scary_ as you are…"

She put her paws on my chest, bumping my nose with hers before biting my lip. She started kissing me, in that slow, longing way that would drive anyone crazy. I groaned into it, holding her for a minute before I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back.

"I'm not sure if you're trying to coerce me or what, but you are getting _way_ too damn good at that," I bent down until we were face to face. "But I'm only saying yes because you know this town way better than I do, and because I know you can take care of yourself."

I kissed her one last time.

"I'll let the chief know we're here," I took my phone from my pocket. We'd left even earlier than I'd thought, it was barely ten. "I don't really wanna know what would happen if he called us to ask what was taking so long."

She laughed, straightening herself out in the mirror on the back of the door before pulling it open.

"I should be back in a couple hours," she looked over her shoulder. "Why don't you get things set up in here, then we can go over anything I find when I get back?"

I smirked and threw up that old salute.

"You're the boss, sweetheart."


	48. Chapter 48

My talk with the chief was even shorter and more one-sided than I'd thought it would be. I'd barely finished saying "Hey, chief, we're in Bunnyburrow" before he'd grunted something that might've been words, cutting the call off about ten seconds after he'd picked up. I stared at my phone a second before shrugging, tossing it on the bed and digging my laptop out of my backpack. Spots had emailed me and Carrots the security footage from High Water, and I figured having to sit through it would be worth it if I managed to get a lead. I fast-forwarded through most of the morning, just the usual meetings and crap that took place in that ballroom, letting it play out once they started setting up for Fru-Fru's wedding. All the mammals you'd expect showed up: decorators, florists, the pantheress planner running around yelling at everyone. When I realized I wasn't gonna get anything useful, I switched to the room the reception had been in, fast-forwarding again to about a half-hour before Mercy went savage.

Again, it was everything you'd expect: animals standing around talking, a few couples and some kids dancing, then out of nowhere complete freaking chaos. Mercy had been sitting by the table in the middle, laughing as she talked to a brown and white dot, then another white wolf in a waiter's get-up walked over and offered her the drink. There wasn't any sound, and the picture wasn't the best, but it was hard to miss the hesitance on Mercy's face as she glanced at Fru, then shrugged and took it. He walked away, and just a few seconds after she took the first sip, she was writhing around on the floor; I could imagine her growling and huffing as she tore at her dress, the howl that came when she got up on all fours. It didn't take long to pick her first target: the cheetah cub Carrots and I had seen with her mom at the hospital.

I forced myself to keep watching, as Kevin bowled into Mercy and grabbed the cub, drawing back as Mercy shook herself off, barely fazed. A second later, she took off, jumping at anything in her way and ripping it apart. Most of the animals in the room had flattened themselves against the walls by then, staying well out of her way, but it wasn't long before she turned to the center table, full of trapped, panicking shrews. Kevin passed the cub to the closest mammal and pulled out his tranq gun, his first shot narrowly missing her. She turned on him, her back to the camera, her tail lashing as she charged. It was all the bear could do to keep out of her reach, knocking her off the few times she managed to get her teeth on him. He finally managed to tire her out enough to get to the table, scooping up Mr. Big and Fru-Fru just as Mercy got her second wind. I stopped it when he shot at her again, having relieved what'd happened next every night since.

 _But I didn't see what happened to the drink…_

I rewound it, focusing on the waiter. There didn't seem to be anything weird about him, he just walked around with a tray, offering drinks and whatever else like all the others. He stopped just as he was about to head back to the kitchen, turning toward whoever must've called him. But whoever it'd been hadn't been in view of the camera, and I couldn't even be sure if it was actually who I was looking for. I pulled up the other attachment from Spots' email, a list of photos of everyone who'd been there that night. I sat through both feeds again, matching faces, trying to find anyone who didn't belong. But everyone ended up being accounted for, and none of them, except some of the younger kids, had talked long enough to the waiters to get the whole plan across. That meant whoever had spiked Mercy's drink either hadn't been there, or had arranged the whole thing ahead of time. Or even worse, they had been there, and had been familiar enough with the layout to stay off the cameras entirely, and no one had been able to tell us if there'd been anyone strange. Either because they just hadn't noticed, or would sooner shoot themselves than lower themselves enough to talk to a fox or bunny. I growled, shut my laptop down and slammed it shut.

 _Damn it, I just wasted four hours for nothing!_

I dropped the laptop on my bed; I'd spent more than half that time pacing around while I watched, trying to get rid of the nervous energy that curled through me. I pulled out my phone and texted Carrots, saying the feeds had been a dead end, at least for me.

 _'_ _Please tell me youve got something'_

I didn't expect her to get back to me right away. Even without counting her family, there were still over eighty million animals for her to talk to, if the sign we'd passed on the way here was anything to go by.

 _Would've expected it to be higher by now,_ I fell back on my bed, holding up a paw and staring at my claws. _It's only been about twenty years since I was last here._

I looked at the clock above the desk, groaning when it went out of focus. I'd slept even less than usual since Mercy had gone savage, and it looked like it was finally catching up to me. I started to drift off, telling myself I'd only sleep a couple hours, then it was back to work. Maybe I'd missed something in the video feeds, or the few witness statements we had managed to get, anything so this wasn't completely…

* * *

"Nick!" I woke up to Carrots shaking me, not even trying to hide how much she was giggling. "Nick, wake up, sleepyhead!"

I groaned, hiding a smirk as I rolled away from her, keeping my eyes shut.

"Nick, come on," she huffed, shaking me harder. "I know you're awake, so stop messing around!"

It was getting hard not to laugh, but I kept it up until she finally shoved me off the bed. I caught myself on my paws, rolling so I faced her. I crouched on all fours, my tail wagging as I growled, heard her shriek as I jumped at her. She scrambled off the bed, laughing as she hopped on the other one, when I face planted the pillow she'd just been sitting on.

"You'll have to try harder than that, Slick!" she was laughing again, the first real happiness I'd seen from her in what felt like forever. But she spent just a second too long congratulating herself; I jumped over and grabbed her paws, pinning her under me. I smirked down at her, loving the shocked look on her face.

"And you shouldn't brag until you're sure you've won, Fluff," I leaned closer, nuzzling her cheek, my nose trailing under her chin. I felt her tense and shiver as I dragged my tongue through her fur, heard her whimper when I pulled away, the sound turning into a moan when I kissed her. I let go of her paws to hook both of mine under her, hauling her up and holding her tightly to my chest. I couldn't believe how much my heart still raced when I touched her like this, how just seeing her smile could make me forget how much was wrong with the world. Usually.

She moaned again, grabbed my shoulders and pushed back from me. She was panting, her face so red under her fur I was surprised steam wasn't coming off her.

"N-Nick, I…" she trailed off, whined a bit before she threw herself at me again. The next thing I knew, I had her pressed against the wall, my tongue practically down her throat, her claws scraping my skin as they dragged through my fur. I stepped forward, closing any space left between us, not caring a bit when something cracked under my foot. All I wanted was the rabbit in my arms, the beautiful, badass little bunny that held my heart in the palm of her paw. And I was sure, even if she did everything she could to crush it, I'd still be completely under her spell.

"God, I love you, Judy," I barely noticed I said it, breaking the kiss to run my nose through her fur again. Her scent was so thick, even sweeter than usual, and it drove me fucking crazy. "I love you so much!"

"O-Oh, Nick," she gasped, my teeth barely scraping her shoulder before tracing her collarbone. "I love you, too!"

That sent me completely over the edge. I growled, not caring who heard me as I threw her on the closest bed, jumping on her and almost tearing her clothes to shreds as I rushed to get them off. But I'd barely started when she grabbed my wrists, her breath just about as heavy as mine when she stared up at me, her eyes burning in a way I'd never seen before, not like this.

"I-I love you, Nick," she whispered it this time, my name hitching like she was about to start crying. "A-And I want you, more than _anything,_ but…"

"I know," I kissed her again, then groaned, loudly, as I pushed myself off her. I stared down at her, not bothering to hide my raging hard-on as I crossed my arms. "But we've got work to do, and that comes first."

I smirked, holding her down when she tried getting up. I put on the most evil grin I could, using the tone that made any girl who heard it completely soaked.

"But know this, bunny, when we're done here, you are going to get the fucking of a lifetime."

She giggled, licking her lips as she ground her hips against mine. The whole time, she kept her eyes locked with mine, her voice the hottest I'd ever heard it.

"And I hope there won't be any escape."


	49. Chapter 49

"So, you wanna tell me where… _that_ came from?"

I looked down at Carrots, smiling when I saw her paw clasped tightly with mine. She shrugged, tugging on me when I slowed down.

"Part of it was stress relief," she looked away, her ears bright red as they dropped to her back. "And the rest of it is because I'm kinda, well…"

She trailed off, still not looking at me. I stared at her a second before it dawned on me.

"Oh, you're…" it was my turn to get flustered. I focused ahead, rubbing the back of my neck. But then I smirked at her again, leaning down until my nose brushed the side of her head. "So is that why you've had 'fuck me' scent following you around the past week?"

She froze, glaring up at me as I pulled back. Her scent had gotten thicker again, having the same effect on me that it did in our room. I bit my tongue to keep from groaning out loud, my claws digging into her paw as hers dug into mine.

"I am _really_ starting to wish you hadn't stopped me," I muttered. She sighed.

"You and me both, but we're late enough for dinner as it is," she smiled a bit. "If we'd stayed in there any longer, Mom would've sent some of my siblings after us."

I shuddered.

"And that is something I would _not…_ " I stopped, staring at her. "Wait, _dinner?_ How long was I asleep?"

She shook her head.

"It's six-thirty now, and if looking through those feeds took you as long as I'm thinking it did, and then it took us about thirty minutes to finish all… _that_ afterward, I'd say about three hours," she smiled up at me. "And did I ever tell you how adorable you are when you sleep? I never noticed you curled up like that!"

I rolled my eyes; that was pretty much everyone's reaction the first time they saw how I slept.

"It's a fox thing," I stuffed my paws in my pockets. "At least, every one I've known has done that."

She hummed thoughtfully and turned back to the hall. A few seconds later, she grabbed my sleeve, pointing ahead.

"Ooh, there's Jack and his friend, Tommy," she whispered excitedly, then giggled. "Let's mess with them!"

I barely had time to think about asking what the hell she meant before she'd wrapped both arms around mine, walking so close to me I almost tripped on her big bunny feet.

"I don't know about you, baby," she said loudly, snickering when two pairs of ears swiveled toward us. "But I don't think I'll ever get over how _delicious_ you are!"

Jack and Tommy jerked to a stop, turning back to stare at us, wide-eyed. A few long seconds later, their mouths clamped shut, and they snapped back around, almost sprinting around the next corner. Carrots and I looked at each other, then burst out laughing; she fell against me, pressing her paws to her mouth to try and keep the volume down.

"That's probably not gonna make him any more likely to accept us," I said, still chuckling. "But damn if it wasn't worth seeing that look on his face!"

I cracked up again, the sound getting stuck in my throat when she grabbed my shirt and kissed me. I didn't stop myself from moaning into it, her tongue barely grazing mine before she ended it, her eyes burning when she looked at me.

"Did I tell you I never cared what my brothers and sisters thought about me?" she asked. I chuckled.

"Not surprised," I grinned down at her. "You sneaky little bunny."

She smiled, pressing herself against me and pulling away before I had time to react.

"You big tasty fox."

* * *

Surprisingly, dinner at the Hopps house wasn't even half as crazy as I'd thought it would be. Mrs. Hopps had had six litters since Carrots had moved out, bringing her sibling count to a neat 320. A lot of the older kids were also married by now, several of them already dealing with one or two dozen kits of their own. All that combined was a shit-ton of bunnies, and what should've been a shit-ton of chaos to match. It was actually almost creepy how silent the whole thing was: rabbits lined up in front of mile-long tables covered in food that probably took a week to cook. They were all completely straight-faced about it, too, like it was their last meal before the electric chair.

"Is it always like this?" I looked at Carrots, who'd dragged us to the end of the line. She shrugged.

"It's the only way to get things done quickly around here," she glanced around. "Though there's usually at least some talk while we're waiting, I wonder what's…"

She looked again, seeing how much the column of ears in front of us was trembling, a lot of noses twitching when her family members turned their heads just enough to glance at us. Or more specifically, me.

"Oh…" she trailed off, her ears drooping. "I-I'm sorry, Nick, I-I didn't think this-"

I shook my head, putting a paw on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, I know I don't exactly fit in around here," I smiled a bit. "But a lot of your family might feel better if they hear I don't eat meat."

Every set of ears in the room stood at attention, including hers.

"You don't?"

I chuckled.

"What, you never noticed?" I shook my head again. "I spent most of my childhood surrounded by zebras, Carrots, so even if I could take the smell, I still wouldn't touch it."

You could hear most of the tension drain out of the room just then, and things quickly got more animated. Not that they were all instantly comfortable around me, but it was definitely less awkward than it had been.

"How'd you meet Auntie Judy?" a little girl looked up at us, pulling her thumb out of her mouth just long enough to ask. Carrots smiled, picking her up and tickling her.

"He's a good friend from the city," she said. "And he's helping me with a big case. A lot of mammals are counting on us to solve it."

A few more kids started crowding around us; I wrapped my tail around me when I noticed some of the youngest ones staring at it.

"Do you really work with rhinos and bears?" one of the boys asked. "Is this fox a cop, too?"

A lot of other voices joined in after that question.

"Are you guys partners?"

"Did you ever arrested anyone?"

"Have you been in any fights?"

"What the hell is that _fox_ doing in here?!"

We all froze at that one. One of the tallest rabbits I'd ever seen stormed over and ripped Carrots' niece from her, every inch of his snow-white fur standing on end. His eyes were as red as my fur, and he glared at me like he wanted to skin me alive. And from the way his paws were twitching, that was exactly what he was about to do.

"I don't know who let you in here, _fox_ ," he snapped. "But you better turn tail and beat it, before I do it for you!"

"Uncle Wyatt!" Carrots stepped between us, taking her niece back and putting her on the floor. "You can't talk to Nick like that!"

He didn't even listen to her, just took her wrist and shoved her behind him. The kids all backed away, making plenty of space for whatever was about to happen. Carrots looked at me over her uncle's shoulder, but I barely paid attention to her.

"She's right, you know," I said calmly. "If you're gonna scream at me for being a fox, you should at least wait until I do something first."

He scoffed.

"I already know what you did," he narrowed his eyes. "Your rotten stink's all over my niece, and there's only _one_ way it could've gotten there."

He stepped forward, stabbing my chest with a claw.

"You took advantage of her!"

A hundred gasps cut through the silence, but other than that, no one reacted. I kept my face blank, staring down at him; his nose was almost level with my shoulder, his ears stock-straight and shaking in my face.

"I've never taken advantage of anyone," my voice had gone flat, like it always did when I was trying to hide I was pissed. I glanced back at Carrots, seeing the worry and fear on her face. "I've spent my whole life fighting the stereotypes shoved down everyone's throats, and I've changed way more stubborn minds than yours, _Wyatt._ "

I reached past him and took Carrots' paw, smiling when she came back to my side. I let myself get lost in her eyes before turning back to her uncle.

"And as I'm sure you heard, I'm helping her with a big case, so if you don't mind, we'd just like to grab some food and get back to work."

"And I have two plates for you right here," Mrs. Hopps came out from behind the table, carrying a tray. "I was just about to bring it to you when you came out."

"Thanks, Mom," Carrots let go of my paw to take it, not even glancing in her uncle's direction. She grinned up at me. "Ready to go, Slick?"

She walked out before I could answer, leaving me no choice but to follow her.


	50. Chapter 50

_"_ _Oh, they're just adorable, Nailah!"_

 _Aunt Asha looked down at me, smiling. Mommy had invited her to help with us, since Daddy was gone again. I was scared she wouldn't like us, since a lot of hers and Daddy's families hadn't, but she seemed to like us almost as much as Mommy did._

 _"_ _How old are they, again?"_

 _"_ _Nicky just turned six," Mommy said. "And Finnick's nine months."_

 _"_ _And how's Tony been reacting to them?"_

 _Mommy brushed through her mane, tapping her hoof on her cup._

 _"_ _He's…still warming up to them," she shook her head. "He's always wanted brothers, I-I'm sure he just needs more time to get used to them."_

 _"_ _He's off from school now, right?" Aunt Asha went back to the kitchen and sat with Mommy. "Maybe we could take them to the park, or that new bug and reptile zoo that just opened downtown? Finding something they have in common might help smooth things over."_

 _Mommy thought about it, tapping her cup again. I walked to the couch and climbed up, looking at Finnick in his baby carrier. A whole nine months old and all he did was sleep. I sighed and jumped to Daddy's chair, laughing when it tried to eat me._

 _"_ _Nicky!" Mommy looked at me. "No jumping on the furniture, that's what the trampoline out back is for!"_

 _"_ _Yes, Mommy," I dropped to the floor and stared out the window. It was still raining, which meant I was still stuck inside. "Ugh, I hate the rain!"_

 _I turned to see Aunt Asha smiling at Mommy, the sneaky smile Mommy had when she played a joke on Daddy. She walked over to me and got on her knees._

 _"_ _Have you ever heard the story of where the rain comes from?"_

 _"_ _No," my ears stood up. I loved stories. "Are you gonna tell me, Aunt Asha?"_

 _She nodded, still smiling._

 _"_ _Only if you help me make some of your famous pawpsicles while I tell it!"_

 _I jumped up._

 _"_ _Yeah, I can do that!"_

 _She laughed and got up._

 _"_ _Then let's get started!"_

I didn't wake up smiling too often, but right now it was pretty hard not to. Aunt Asha had ended up being one of my favorite mammals, though she was still only second or third to the bunny in my arms right now.

I looked down at her, running a paw over her limp ears. Her nose twitched a bit as she snuggled closer to me, her paw tightening in my chest fur. We'd stayed up most of the night, Carrots going over the video feeds, me reading through the piles of notes she'd scratched down while talking around, just to see if either of us had missed something. But the feeds were still the same dead end they'd been yesterday, and what she'd managed to find was pretty much nothing. All the mammals around town had been able to tell her was a couple abandoned farms had been bought, but no one could say for certain when or who'd picked them up.

 _But I guess it's still worth looking into,_ I scratched behind one of her ears, snickering when one of her feet started kicking. _We don't exactly have a lot of leads to follow._

I glanced at the clock on the wall, my ears heating a bit when I saw the big crack on the plastic face. We hadn't even noticed we'd knocked it off until we'd come back with our food, Carrots saying it wasn't the worst thing a clock had suffered in this place. I was just glad it still worked, even if it was kinda hard to read now.

"Mmm…Nick?"

I turned back to Carrots, smiling when I saw her barely-open eyes looking up at me. She crawled up my chest, sighing as she nuzzled under my chin.

"I don't want to get up yet," she muttered. "But we only have two days left…"

"I know," I sat up, making her groan when she slipped off me, and grabbed the map of Bunnyburrow she'd bought yesterday. She'd circled the old farm, along with a few smaller ones she'd been told about. "We should focus on this big one for now, then move to the others if we come up empty."

She pushed herself up, her carrot nightshirt hanging off her shoulder.

"That almost sounds like a plan," she pointed to one of the smaller farms. "I'll make a photocopy of this, then we can split up and check these two off the list at once. We can meet up at the big farm after we've cleared them."

I looked at the map, then shrugged.

"Makes sense, I guess," I took my phone from under my pillow. "But we should get going, we've already burned a few hours of daylight, and I really don't wanna be all the way out there after dark."

"Me either, especially if there actually ends up being a drug lab out there," she shivered. "It's unnerving, having something like that so close to home."

I chuckled.

"Then don't go near the northern Meadowlands or Happytown once we're back in the city," I slipped out of bed and knelt by my backpack. "Not even many gangs will touch those streets."

She finally rolled out of bed, standing on her toes while she stretched her arms over her head.

"Mmm, that feels good," she muttered, then walked past me, running a paw across the back of my neck. "And I'm sure _you_ speak from experience, Mr. 'I'm Silano Big's godson'."

I rolled my eyes, squeezing her tail just before it was out of reach. She squeaked, jumping around before glaring at me.

"You pervert."

She spun and stomped to her bag. I smirked.

"If you think that now, just wait until we actually have sex."

I laughed when her ears flared red, easily dodging the pillow she chucked at me.

* * *

An hour later, we were at the first farm, me in my low rider and her in her family's rusted-out mess of a pick-up. I stared at it as she got out, shaking my head as it rocked when she shut the door.

"I can't believe that thing made it this far."

She smiled.

"Didn't you hear how quiet the engine is?" it turned into a smirk. "You of all mammals should know looks aren't everything!"

I scoffed.

"Big talk coming from a little stuffed toy like you!"

She groaned, flipping me off as she walked toward the barn. I laughed, heading down the dirt road to the next farm. It looked like it'd been abandoned even longer than the other one: it was so overgrown I couldn't even start to guess where the fields might've been. All that was left of the house was the basement, full of water and muck from who-knows-how-many years' worth of rain. I pulled out my phone and looked around anyway, snapping some shots and sending them to Carrots.

 _'_ _Yeah theres nothing here Not unless the whole labs completely under ground'_

 _'_ _It might be,'_ she got back to me pretty fast. _'Keep looking, you might still find something.'_

I rolled my eyes.

 _'_ _Fine but I still dont think itll lead anywhere'_

I put my phone away and took out my knife; as empty as this place seemed, I still didn't want to get caught off-guard. I moved slowly, shuffling my feet in the looser patches of dirt to see if there was some kind of hatch, but there wasn't anything but broken bits of scrap and plants. Parts of the silos were still standing, surprisingly, but not enough for them to be any kind of use. The last place I checked out was the barn, or at least, where I guessed it would've been.

 _There's no freaking sign of it anywhere,_ I looked around one last time. _Just how old is_ _this place?_

I jumped a bit when my phone went off. It was Carrots.

 _"_ _Ugh, I haven't found a thing,"_ she slammed the truck's door. _"What about you?"_

I shook my head.

"Nothing here, either," I headed back to my car. "The buildings barely even exist in this place."

 _"_ _I just started toward the big farm,"_ she said after a minute. _"How far back are you?"_

"Just got to my car," I glanced at the sky as I slipped behind the wheel. "Parked further out than I thought."

I looked at the clock as I started up. We'd only spent about an hour checking these farms out. I smirked.

"You're not just hurrying this along so we can go back to our room, are you?"

There was a long pause, and I could just see the shock switch to pissed off on her face.

 _"_ _Just get to the farm already, Wilde."_

I just laughed as she hung up.


	51. Chapter 51

Carrots was already looking around when I pulled up, making a show of ignoring me when I asked if she'd found anything. She just pointed to a line she'd drawn in the dirt, then to the field on the other side of it. By the time I looked back, she was gone. I chuckled.

 _Was starting to wonder when she'd pull that on me._

I'd used the trick a hundred times when I'd been cornered by the paparazzi, and it'd been caught on camera more than once. I'd only used it on Carrots once so far, when we'd watched Yumiko so Rocco could check on Astelle and Zariah at the hospital. I'd given Ed a few weeks off after that, saying his brother and sister-in-law needed him more than we did, that Yumiko needed her uncle. With Max and Jeremy still who-knows-where, that left Leo by himself most of the time, since I wasn't about to make Rocco work in this situation. He still came in when he could, but I didn't blame him if something got past him, not that it ever did.

I shook my head. We only had a few hours of daylight left, and here I was standing around with my head in the clouds. I bent down and picked up part of a branch, pushing the long grass aside as I slowly made my way through the field.

 _And Carrots thought I was crazy for bringing flea shampoo,_ I thought. I was definitely gonna need it after this. I glanced at the sky; the clouds hadn't moved, but it hadn't rained since we'd gotten here. I wished they'd just start the big downpour and get it over with, enough of this stalling crap already.

 _But we don't exactly have time to wait around for things to dry out._ If I was right, we only had about thirty-six hours left, maybe even less. And so far this was turning out to be as much of a dead end as the last two farms. I sighed, choking on it when I tripped on a root. _Why'd I let Buffalo-Butt push us into this?_

I stopped pushing the grass around and straightened, sniffing as the wind blew past me. There had definitely been animals here in the last couple days, but there were so many other scents around I couldn't tell what they'd been, or if there was anything familiar or not.

 _And that's what I really don't get about all this,_ I went back to searching. The only place mammals were going savage was Zootopia, so why would there be a related drug farm all the way out here? It was over two hundred miles away, and there were plenty of places just outside the city wall, and even more _in_ the city, where this stuff could be made without anyone thinking twice about it, so why go through all this? It only cemented the idea that there was more going on here, that whoever was behind this didn't just want to make a few animals lose their minds, but what else could they be after? Were they trying to get some kind of message across? Did they want Lionheart to bring back the collars the mayor before him had gotten rid of? What the heck was the end goal here?

 _Ugh,_ I pressed a paw to my forehead. I wasn't sure if it was the case or dehydration, but my head was starting to spin. _I should've brought a water bottle or something with me. Wait, what's that?_

I dropped the branch and crouched on all fours, my ears perked to the side. The grass had started rustling, loudly, and now that it was closer, I could hear someone talking. I pulled out my phone and hit record.

"You really don't think the anyone'll catch on?" the guy sounded even younger than Carrots, like he knew he was in way over his head. Someone else laughed.

"Why do you think the boss made us do this all the way out here?" he didn't sound much older, but something in his tone said he knew what he was doing. "We've been getting away with this for months already, and they haven't been able to do more than lock these guys up. There's no way the cops'll figure it out!"

"It's not the cops I'm worried about, Jamie," the first guy said. "Not the city ones, anyway, it's who they have working with them!"

"Pfft, you mean that bunny? Please," Jamie laughed. "Everyone knows rabbits are only good for farming and fucking, there's no way _that_ little cutie got to be a cop on her own!"

"That's not who I'm talking about, Jamie," the other kid sounded like he was about to start panicking. "Didn't you hear? They've got _Nick freaking Wilde_ on their side!"

Jamie stopped, the first kid grunting as he walked into him.

"Y-You better not just be fucking with me, Benny," he'd lost the edge of his cool. "T-There's no way a fox would work with the cops, especially Wilde!"

They started walking again, and I crept after them, staying just far enough back I couldn't see them over the grass.

"It's true!" Benny almost shouted it. "That bunny even pointed him out at that press conference, it was on the news and everything!"

Jamie groaned.

"So what if he's working with the cops now? Even he hasn't been able to figure out what we're doing!"

 _No, but I'm pretty sure I'm about to,_ I smiled. _And you two just signed the warrant._

I stopped, kneeling as I sent the video to Carrots.

 _'_ _I think I just solved the case'_

* * *

"What? What do you mean you couldn't find anything?"

Carrots stared up at the biggest female cheetah I'd ever seen. She shook her head.

"I mean 'we couldn't find anything', Hopps," she crossed her arms. "This place was bought in the last few months, yes, but there's no sign anyone's been near the property since."

"But what about that conversation Nick overheard?" she put her paws on her hips, his foot tapping like crazy. "He sent me that recording just a few hours ago!"

"Did he, now?" the cheetah turned to me, and it was hard to keep my tail behind me. "And did he happen to see the two mammals in question?"

I swallowed.

"Well, no, but…"

"And did you happen to catch their scents?"

"No, but…"

"'But' nothing. You brought us out here on a dead end, Hopps," she turned back to Carrots, her eyes narrowed to slits. "We already have too much to deal with in Zootopia, where we still have _actual_ criminals to catch on top of this savage mammals case. I've heard the recording, and you two could just as easily have faked the whole thing just to waste our time. I certainly wouldn't put it past _him._ "

She pointed at me, but kept her glare on Carrots.

"I was almost starting to think maybe you _could_ be a competent officer, Hopps, but the last few months have told me otherwise. Not only have you teamed up with a _fox,_ " she glared at me again. "But you've spent the last few months chasing _his_ ghosts instead of doing _your_ job."

She didn't bother hiding her smile after that, not that she'd been trying too hard in the first place.

"After this, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to recommend you to Bogo for-"

"You can stop right there, Maywood."

We turned to see a tiger and white wolf walk up, both of them doing a nice job of staring the cheetah down.

"Nick and Judy are the reason we've gotten _this_ far in the case to start with, I would've thought you'd be well-aware of that right now," the tiger held up a paw when Maywood tried talking. "You've already been reported to the chief for harassing Officer Hopps before, and I don't think I need to remind you what'll happen if I have to do it again."

That shut Maywood right up. She stared at the tiger before turning, smacking me in the face with her tail when she stalked off.

"Ow," I held a paw over my eye as I glared after her. "What the hell's her problem?"

The tiger sighed.

"Sorry about that, Wilde, Rebecca just has some… _issues_ she hasn't quite worked out yet," she shook her head. " _I_ never would've let her into the academy, but the need for fast officers matters more than what some of us think."

"She was second in our class," Carrots rubbed her arm. "And she thinks the only way I could've beat her was if I slept with one or more of the instructors."

"And even _if_ she had, it wouldn't have made a difference," the tiger smiled. "Sure, it took her some time to catch up in the physical areas, but her test scores started off the charts and stayed there, she worked too hard to be anywhere _but_ the top."

"And you should see her in the ring!" the wolf's tail wagged like crazy. "She took down Pennington in thirty seconds flat!"

A blank look from me had them both pointing to the elephant talking to Bogo; I took my paw off my eye, blinking as the last of the burn faded.

"Not too hard to believe that," I rubbed my stomach, that bruise had taken almost a month to fade. Then my mind went back to that cheetah. "But what about Maywood? Was she right? Did this really turn out to just be a waste of time?"

The tiger hesitated, then sighed.

"As far as the savage mammals case is concerned, I'm afraid this _was_ a dead end, it's nothing more than an illegal distillery," she smiled a bit. "But it does mean we've arrested two other mammals we've been looking for, brothers Benny and Jamie Johnson, wanted for armed robbery and assault, as well as supplying illicit watering holes throughout the city and the Tri-Burrows."

Carrots tried to smile back.

"Well, that's something, at least," it dropped when she turned to me. "But I really wish we could've gotten further on _this_ case. I'm sorry, Nick."

I shrugged.

"It's fine, Carrots, we still have one more day to try and figure this out, and I know you're not gonna let either of us rest until we do."

She laughed a bit.

"You're right on that," she looked over the field full of cops, already starting to pack things in. "But it looks like you don't really need us here anymore, so I guess we'll just-"

"One moment, Hopps," Bogo walked up, looking a lot less pissed with us than I thought he would. "After your find today, I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you twelve more hours, don't waste them."

Carrots beamed, grabbing my arm and dragging me with her when she ran back to the truck.

"Thank you, sir! I promise we won't let you down!"


	52. Chapter 52

It was hailing when we got back to the Hopps farm; I stayed in my car after I shut it off, sighing as I fell back against the seat. Two days. We'd already wasted two of our three days, and all we'd gotten was a completely unrelated distillery. I growled, grinding the heels of my paws into my eyes. All that work, and we had almost nothing to show for it; it felt like I was letting everyone down all over again.

 _Quit thinking like that already, dumbass,_ I snapped at myself. _You didn't get the right mark, but at least you got_ someone _, the chief even gave you an extension because of it!_

Yeah, but twelve hours wasn't gonna get us far, not when it had taken months to reach this point, and now our only lead was dried up.

 _What the hell are we supposed to do now?_ I laid my forehead on the steering wheel, my claws digging into the cover. _We don't have enough time to start from scratch!_

I didn't bother looking when the passenger door opened, the scent telling me exactly who it was.

"I don't exactly feel like talking right now, Carrots," I dragged my head off the wheel and sat back up, going stiff when I noticed her scent was spiked. I turned to her, my tail flicking against the seat when I saw how she was staring at me: her eyes were half-open, kinda glazed and even a bit crazy. She licked her lips, one paw messing with the buttons of her shirt as she crawled forward with the other.

"Good," she finally got her shirt open, my whole body heating up when I saw she wasn't wearing anything under it. "Because I don't really feel like talking, either."

The next thing I knew, she'd thrown herself at me, shoving up my shirt as she dragged herself up my chest, kissing me before I had a chance to say anything. She didn't hold back with anything, running her paws through my fur, her claws hitting my skin, her tongue almost attacking mine when it darted into my mouth. It didn't take long for me to give into it, one paw slipping under her shirt while the other clenched on her ass. She broke away to gasp, looking at me in a way that had any sane thought fleeing the scene. She grabbed my collar and tugged me toward the backseat, the awkward trip made even shorter when she kissed me like that again.

"Oh, God, Judy," I stared down at her, her shirt falling open as she panted. I buried my nose in the white fur on her stomach, even softer than the gray that covered the rest of her. Her scent was so thick it was almost choking me, and I was sure mine had the same effect on her. I bit down when I hit the white tuft on her chest, the heat of her skin lashing through me as her claws trailed down my back. "Y-You're so-"

I didn't get a chance to finish. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down, my face getting buried in hers. I licked the spot where I could feel her heart race, groaning when she started screwing with my belt. I could feel _that_ start to come over me again, but right now, completely lost in the girl I loved, I just couldn't give a shit. I took her paw and kissed it before guiding it back to my chest, where my own heart was pounding like crazy.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" I muttered, it was the most I could get. She took her paw from mine and grabbed my face.

"Of course I do, Nick," her eyes were glowing now, slightly clearer. "And it's not just because I'm in heat. I love you, more than I thought I ever could love someone!"

I smiled down at her.

"I love you, too," it faded a little. "I just wanna make sure, it's not really something we can go back on."

She narrowed her eyes, sat up and grabbed my belt again.

"I wouldn't have started this if I didn't want to finish it," she undid my pants and yanked them down. "Now stop stalling and just fuck me already!"

I couldn't hold back a laugh, reaching for the tight jeans that'd been in the back of my mind all day.

"You're the boss, sweetheart."

I let her peel off my shirt before I leaned over her, trapping her under me. I was kinda short for a red fox, but she was still only about two-thirds my size, and part of me suddenly worried this wouldn't be a good idea, that no matter how careful I was I'd end up hurting her. I started to pull back, saying something about how we should at least wait until we were back in our room, when the door flew open. We froze, looking up to see Jack and their uncle glaring at us.

"Both of you, get dressed, _now,_ " Wyatt growled. "Then get inside, we're going to have a little chat."

* * *

"-in the backseat of a car, with a _fox_?! You were raised better than this, Judy!"

I'd lost track of how long Wyatt had been going on like that, and it didn't seem like he was about to stop any time soon. As soon as we'd gotten inside, he'd dragged her into an empty room and slammed the door in my face, leaving me stuck in the hall with Savage, who looked like he was about to rip my tail off.

"I can't believe you would do this," he snarled. "My own _sister_!"

I shoved out a breath, running a paw over my head before rubbing the back of my neck.

"And _what_ exactly, do you think I did?" I stared him down. "Do you really think I'd take advantage of her, of _anyone_ like that?"

He glared back at me a second before looking away. He sighed.

"A few years ago, that wouldn't have even crossed my mind, but now? Now that I know what goes on in your head?" he shook his, slowly, his ears dropping behind his back. "I don't know what to believe about you anymore."

He might as well have just stabbed me in the gut. I stared at him, my jaw slack and my ears flat against my skull. My tail had gone completely limp. Then my eyes narrowed, and I fought the urge to snarl at him, knowing it would just make things worse.

"I'm not in the same place I was back then," I took a step toward him, just getting angrier when he backed away. "And I _love_ Judy, I'd never do _anything_ to hurt her!"

"You can't say that!" he screamed it, a pitch I didn't think his voice could reach. "Not with… _that_ scraping around in your head! All it would take is one slip-up to kill her!"

I stopped, opening my mouth to say something, anything, but he wasn't done yet.

"And how much do you even know about her? You haven't even known her six months!"

I snapped my mouth shut, my paws frozen in mid-air. Was he really doing this? I shoved the anger aside, throwing my paws down as I stepped back.

"She is one of the kindest, most thoughtful mammals I've ever met," it didn't take as much as I'd thought to keep my voice even. "She's selfless, determined, always ready to help."

I smiled, starting to get kind of dazed.

"But she's also hard-headed, rash and not always one to listen, but then, so am I," I chuckled a bit. "And I adore that side just as much as everything else about her."

I looked back at Savage.

"I know you're worried about her, and you have every right to be, but she wants this just as much as I do, and I've never been happier," I swallowed. "And I'll do whatever I have to to keep her by my side until the day I die."

Someone gasped behind me.

"Oh, Nick!"

I turned just in time to get slammed to the floor by a gray and white cannonball. I laughed, hugging her just as tightly as she did me. I didn't even care when Wyatt stormed over to us, looking like he was about to bust an artery.

"We're not done with this conversation yet, Judy," he stabbed a claw toward me, his whole arm shaking. "And you, _fox_ , I want you out of this house _now,_ I'm not going to let you corrupt my niece anymore!"

I felt Carrots stiffen, winced as her claws dug into my shoulder.

"The only corrupted one here is _you,_ Uncle Wyatt," she turned on him, his look quickly changing to a guy who'd just pissed himself. "Just because you had one bad encounter with a fox when you were young does not mean you get to dictate how the rest of our family feels about them!"

She pushed away from me and got up, her fists tight and trembling at her sides. She stalked toward him, forcing him back against the wall.

"If you so much as _think_ of putting together some kind of plan to hurt Nick, I will have you hauled off to jail so fast the cuffs will melt," she shoved him so hard it left a dent in the packed dirt wall. "And you will be banned from ever contacting our family again, I will not have anyone else corrupted by _your_ ignorance and hatred!"

Her voice had risen until she was shouting, and she shoved him again for emphasis. But when she turned back to me, the rage on her face faded completely, and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back with my arms full of bunny again. Only this time she was kissing me hot and crazy, and I did everything I could to return it.

"C'mon, Slick," she pulled away, panting a bit. "We still have a lot of work to do, and then we can finish what we started."

I groaned when she ground against me, not exactly being subtle about it.

"Aw, hell, yeah."


	53. Chapter 53

The storm had gotten worse by the time we got back to our room. The hail was twice as big as it'd been just a couple hours ago, and now sleet was coming down, too. It had also started to thunder, something I thought only happened in rainstorms. The wind was going crazy, and every once in a while the lights would flicker, I wasn't sure how much longer they'd last.

"So," I swallowed the last of my sandwich and put the plate next to me, leaning against the side of her bed. "What do we do now?"

Carrots sighed, lying in it with one foot hanging over the edge as she stared up at the ceiling.

"I don't know, we didn't exactly have a lot to go on when we came here, and now we don't have _anything_!" she grabbed one of the million and a half plushes that covered it and hugged it to her. She sighed again. "I'm starting to think we'll never solve this!"

"I thought I was supposed to be the cynical one around here," I grabbed her ankle and hauled her into my lap. She dropped the plush, grabbed my shirt and nuzzled my neck.

"I'm really sorry about everything that's happened here, Nick," she laid her head on my shoulder. "I-I didn't know Uncle Wyatt would be here, and if I had I never would've-"

I tilted her chin back and kissed her, cutting her off.

"I told you, Carrots, idiots like that don't even bother me anymore," I hugged her more tightly. "It doesn't matter how much bullshit gets thrown at us or who's doing it, I said I wanted you by my side, and I meant it."

She lifted her head to look at me. It looked like there were tears in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

"I know, and I believe you, I always have," she looked down at her paw, still clutching my shirt. "I guess I just don't completely understand why. I mean, you could get pretty much any girl you wanted, but you picked a dumb little bunny like me. Why?"

I smirked at her.

"Besides the fact I've always kinda had a thing for rabbits?" I chuckled, then covered her paw with mine. "And it's not species I care about, Judy, you could be any type of mammal on the planet and I'd still feel the same way I do now."

My smirk dropped.

"But I'd be lying if I said I didn't wonder the same thing sometimes. All the guys in the world that are better than me, and you still picked _me,_ " I ran my paw down her ears, then cupped her cheek. She smiled.

"I told Jack I've been in love with you since high school," she started. "And I meant it. Of course, at first it was just because of how hot and rich you were, I _was_ fifteen, after all."

We laughed, and she cuddled closer to me.

"But then I started reading your interviews, watched that show you guys were on, and I realized there was so much more to you than that," she let go of my shirt, pressing her paw flat to my chest. "You're brave, loyal, generous and you've always done whatever you can to fight stereotypes. You never gave up, no matter what got in your way."

She looked up at me, and I knew she could feel my heart start to race. It just got faster when she kissed me, her paw sliding up my shirt until her fingers brushed through my fur.

"You're also a badass guitar player and one hell of a kisser," she giggled, the sound trailing off when my claw traced her bottom lip.

"I can do a lot more than that," I kissed her, pulling back just as the lights finally flashed out. "And it looks like now's the perfect time to show you."

She giggled again, moaning when I dragged my claws down her ear, gasping when I leaned in to nip her shoulder. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, but soon I could see her just as well as I could during the day. Lightning flashed outside the windows, her eyes catching it and glowing for a split second. Her nose had started switching, her paws getting a little more impatient about getting my clothes off.

"Okay, okay!" I laughed a bit, opening the buttons of her shirt one by one. I leaned in again and licked under her chin, panting when the taste sent a jolt through me. "I know you're in heat, little bun, but you know it's always better when it's drawn out…"

I kissed her, her tongue practically attacking mine as she tugged at my belt. I moaned when she pulled away, freezing when she started trailing lower, her paws snaking into my jeans as her teeth grazed my neck. I barely had time to breathe before she bit down, not hard enough to break the skin, but definitely enough to make it hurt, and I fucking loved it.

"Oh, god, Judy," I grunted when she bit down again, her hot tongue trailing through my fur. I could barely feel her paws, but at the same time they were all I could feel, every stroke, knead and claw-drag pulling me closer and closer to the edge. At the last second, I grabbed her wrists, panting as I pulled her paws away. "As much as I'm loving that, I'd rather be _in_ you before I go off, and I know _you'd_ like it better that way, too."

She stared up at me, squirming as my other paw kept slowly undressing her, running through her fur, heading right for the source of the scent that almost choked me. She gasped as I pressed into her, squeaking when I hit a sweet spot.

"Y-Yes, oh, god, Nick, yes!"

I chuckled, finally getting the last of her clothes off. I let go of her paws, grabbing the old quilt on the bed as I got up, shoving it aside as I dropped her on the mattress. She stared at me as I striped, curling up when I crawled over her. She shook her head.

"N-Not like this, please…"

I barely noticed her paw slip under the pillow, and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back, her legs wrapped around me as she cuffed my paws to the headboard.

"What the hell?" I tugged on them, but they wouldn't budge. I looked back at her when she giggled, crawling backwards down my chest, her eyes never leaving mine. "You sneaky rabbit!"

She shrugged, getting to her feet and crossing her arms.

"I've had this fantasy since I was nineteen, and I'm not about to let our first time be completely on _your_ terms," she giggled again, stepping back with a smirk. "Don't worry, next time I _may_ just let you get your way, _if_ you're good and let me finish."

She sat on her knees between my legs, looking sexy as hell as she licked her lips.

"And the more you move," she whispered. "The more I'll draw it out."

I stared at her.

"Draw what ou…oh, god!"

It wasn't the first time I'd been licked like that, or even the first time I'd loved it, but it sure as hell felt like it. I'd never even thought she could move that slow, never once breaking eye contact with me. Every pass of her tongue, every little huff of breath dragged me even closer to the edge, and just when I thought I'd reached it, I felt her lips. The soft suck of her mouth as she pulled me in, moaning as she finally closed her eyes, almost like she was savoring it. The whole time, she kept her paws on my thighs, her back arched enough for me to see the gray and white tip of her twitching tail. Finally, I couldn't hold back anymore, my hips bucking as I let loose, my heart picking up every time I heard her swallow, riding out every spasm like a pro.

After a damn long time, it stopped coming, my breath rasping as she slowly licked me clean. I just stared at her as she started grooming herself, running her claws through her fur everywhere but her face. Her tongue took care of that, darting out to catch anything that had slipped past; she dragged a claw along her chin and sucked on her finger, moaning like she'd just finished her favorite meal.

"Hmm, a little sweeter than I'm used to, but still delicious," she caught my stare and held it, slowly pulling her finger out. "Probably the best I've had yet."

She laughed when I just kept watching her, then leaned over me, still licking the rest off her face.

"What, did you really think you were my first fox?" she winked. I groaned, my brain finally deciding to switch back on.

"It's official," I fell back, still panting a bit. "You're the hottest girl I've ever met."

She giggled, crawling over me and undoing the cuffs. It took everything I had not to bury my nose in her fur, to start biting and licking every part of her I could reach. I had a plan of my own, and it started with her letting me loose as quickly as possible.

"And don't you forget i-yeek!"

I grabbed her hips the second my paws were free, not caring where the cuffs in her paw landed when I flipped us back over. I knew she could barely see me right now, and that just made it even better when I closed the gap between us, catching her lips before she could say anything else.

"You had your chance to drive me insane," I murmured, nuzzling her ear. "Now, it's my turn."

I kissed her again, feeling her arms wrap around my chest as I brushed against her, groaning when I fell into her heat. The way her scent had changed told me she was soaked, and hell, was she. I fought against every nerve screaming at me to stop holding back, to be as rough with her as I'd been with every other girl. But I wouldn't, not until I knew she could handle me, the rest could wait as long as it needed to. I saw her grip the sheet, bite her lip the further I went, but she never asked me to stop. Before I knew it, she'd taken all of me, grabbing my shoulders when I started moving, her legs wrapping around me as she ground her hips against mine.

"P-Please, Nick," she bit my neck again, licking the same spot to smooth my fur. My brain must've cut out again, because the next thing I knew I was almost pounding into her, the edge coming up all over again. I hissed when her claws dug into my back, a burning sting telling me she'd already gouged it several times, but I didn't slow down, throwing myself over and taking her right along with me.

I gasped sharply as she rippled around me, barely able to keep myself from collapsing on top of her. We were locked at the hips, probably would be for the next hour, and I couldn't think of anything I wanted more.

"Wow…" she was panting, snuggling against me when I turned us both on our sides. "No wonder no one ever came back, Slick, they couldn't handle you!"

I laughed, pulling her as close as I could and kissing the top of her head.

"And I haven't even shown you the half of it yet, sweetheart."

She buried her face in my chest, breathing deeply.

"I love you, Nick," her voice was muffled my fur. I smiled, dragging my cheek along the top of her head.

"I love you, too, Judy."


	54. Chapter 54

It was still dark when I woke up in the morning. The storm had cleared out by then, and it didn't take a master farmer to figure out how much damage it must've caused.

 _Might as well get it out of the way before we get roped into clean-up duty…_

It took some time to get out of bed with Carrots curled up on my chest, but I managed to slip out without waking her, hoping she wouldn't notice how crappy her new pillow was. I pulled on my old sweats and hoodie, then grabbed her notebook and flipped to an empty page. I swiped the carrot pen she always carried around—what was it with rabbits and carrots, anyway?—and scribbled a note before leaving it on the nightstand.

 _'Went for a run, didn't want to wake you. Nick'_

I slipped out without looking back at her, knowing if I did I'd just crawl back into bed and cuddle her again. And it wasn't exactly easy to think clearly when I was close to her like that. I'd scratched lines in the wall the first time Carrots had dragged me to dinner, and thankfully they were still there, so it only took a few minutes to find my way outside. The sky was already starting to brighten a bit, making it even easier to see what the storm had left behind: broken branches, cracked windows, even some dents in the corrugated tin roof of the barn.

 _Not as bad as I'd thought it'd be, though…_

I glanced back at the house, which looked like a giant kid had tried burying an Easter egg and gotten bored half-way through. The pink trim was kinda faded, the light wood the house had been built out of showing up through cracks and scrapes in the yellow paint. The tiny porch and front door were off-white, the door rounded like all the ones inside, barely tall enough for me to walk through without having to duck. The mailbox and welcome mat were shaped like carrots, the light covers on either side of it messily painted, by one of the hundreds of kits inside no doubt, to look like butterflies.

 _Ugh, if this place were any more sugar-coated, I'd freaking puke,_ I rolled my eyes and turned away. _But it sure explains a lot…_

I stuck close to the fence that outlined the farm; Carrots had told me it was four or five acres, and was actually one of the smaller ones. I'd never gotten how Bunnyburrow always felt so… _close,_ especially since now there were about as many mammals here as there were in the city, but it still felt like a small town, like Podunk or Lakeside. Must be a farm community thing. I was almost done with my second loop when I slowed down, not because I was tired, but because the Hopps were starting to wake up, and with what Wyatt had already put us through, I didn't really feel like running into any of them without Carrots next to me. I jumped the fence next to some trees, walking until I couldn't see the house before climbing one and digging my claws into a low branch, doing as many pull-ups as I could with each paw before using both. I'd hoped the extra burn would at least start getting rid of the nervous energy that had been building in me, but it just seemed to make it worse, since it gave me even more time to think about how much could still go wrong.

 _We've only got a few hours left to solve this,_ I climbed onto the branch and hooked my knees around it, letting myself fall back. _And if we don't crack it before then, I can kiss my PI shield good-bye._

I didn't even bother to keep track of the sit-ups I did, my mind was going too many other places.

 _That's not even the important thing here,_ I closed my eyes when the sun came through, my breath starting to rasp in my ears. _Thirty families are counting on us to find the source of this drug, it's the only chance they have of getting their loved ones back._

Thirty. I couldn't believe it had already gotten that high, and there still wasn't any sign of it slowing down. The only difference now was it had moved beyond just my fans and a few accidents, whoever was behind this didn't seem to care anymore who they poisoned: preds, prey, adults and kids of all ages. All of them had gone savage, locked in glass cells and sedated as the new city-wide research team did everything they could to make an antidote, pretty much up against a wall unless Carrots and I tracked down the source. And at this point, it was starting to look like it was just never gonna happen. I sighed, let go of the branch and flipped back to my feet. My ears flicked back as I brushed myself off; I turned to see Savage leaning against a tree, drumming his fingers against the trunk. I narrowed my eyes and turned my back to him.

"If you're here to tell me to stay away from Carrots, save it," I just about spat it. "I'm not about to let her go."

It was silent for a second, then he shoved out a breath, dead leaves crunching when he walked toward me.

"That's not why I'm here," he stopped a few feet from me. "I know something that'll help you."

I turned my head just enough to look at him. He looked just like Carrots when she got nervous, rubbing his arm, head tilted with his ears flat against his back as he stared at the ground.

"And you couldn't tell me this earlier, before we wasted all that time with those farms?"

He flinched, then shook his head.

"I didn't figure it out until this morning, and all I can say is, if you didn't think my uncle sucked before, you will now."

I stared at him, my confusion winning out as I turned to fully face him.

"What the heck are you talking about?" I stuffed my paws in my pocket, my tail starting to flick behind me. "I know Wyatt's an ass, but do you really think he'd…"

I trailed off when more footsteps sounded behind him, Savage freezing when Wyatt slapped a paw on his shoulder.

"Find a way to make predators go savage so they'd lock you pieces of shit up like they should have from the start?" he chuckled, sneering at me. "Why yes, yes I did."

He patted Savage's shoulder, then shoved him back, two other bucks grabbing his arms and holding him. Wyatt walked toward me, keeping one paw behind him, waving the other around as he talked.

"I didn't get Ph.D.s in biochemistry and toxicology for nothing, but it took longer than I thought to find what makes you guys tick," he smiled, the look sending ice down my spine. "And I bet you think I'm arrogant enough to just come right out and tell you, since I did just admit to making it."

His smile widened, and he chuckled.

"Well, you're right, I am, but that doesn't mean I'm going to, it'll be a lot more fun to see you try and figure it out for yourself," he came closer, tracing a claw over my chest. I shuddered. "And when you fail, my niece will finally see just how pathetic you predators are, and she'll throw you in the trash where you belong."

He looked me up and down, his smile dropping back into a sneer.

"But before all that, I think I'll have some fun with you."

I didn't have time to react before he stabbed me in the side, my whole body locking as shocks coursed through me. I caught sight of the bright pink taser when I fell, curling up when he hit me with it again, laughing the whole time.

"No!" Savage was screaming, but it echoed, sounding far away. I could barely breathe when Wyatt finally stopped with it, tears soaking my fur as I stared up at him, my vision starting to blur a bit. What little breath I could get was forced out when he kicked me, making sure his claws dug in. All I could see now were stars, spots of black crowding in as he kept going at it; blood spattered across his foot when I coughed, which just seemed to piss him off more. He growled, stomping hard on my paw when I tried to crawl away.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, foxy," he turned to Savage. "You're sure you told me the truth about him, Jack, that he'll lose it if he's provoked enough?"

I froze, forgetting Wyatt completely as I stared at Savage. He looked more guilty than I'd ever seen him, wouldn't turn his head toward me. It was a long time before he talked, my vision clearing as I slowly got my breath back.

"I only told you because I thought you could help him," his teeth were clenched. "I didn't know you'd do all… _this_ to him!"

He finally looked at me, tears in his eyes.

"Nick, I swear, I had no idea he felt like this about preds," he fought against the bucks holding him. "I'm so sorry I got you into this!"

I groaned as I pushed myself up, just enough to shake my head, as nauseas as it made me.

"I-It's not your fault, Savage," I coughed, tasting blood again. I turned to Wyatt, managing to smirk. "And we all know you won't get away with this, all I have to do is tell Judy, and she'll haul your ass in."

He looked at me, then laughed, holding up a bright orange carrot-shaped pen.

"Normally, you'd be right, kid, but it'd be my word against yours, and without this," he shook his head. "She has no way of getting the truth."

I stared at him, then scoffed.

"T-That's just a pen," it was getting hard to breathe again, my chest tightening up. "W-What difference would it make?"

Something clicked.

 _"T-That's just a pen. W-What difference would it make?"_

I gasped, choking on it when he kicked me again.

"I gave her this little toy when she graduated from the academy, I'm surprised she never told you what it could do," he dropped it on the ground, stomped on it until it was smashed to bits. "But it doesn't matter now, because she won't be hearing any of this from you, either."

He reached behind his back again, and pulled out a gun, the same one I'd stuck in my pack before Carrots and I had left the city. I growled at him, the edges of my vision starting to shift again. He smirked.

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't hurt her, unless you count me hitting her with one of her own tranq darts as hurting her."

I did, tried to tackle him, barely getting up before he tased me again."

"She's fine," he chuckled. "She'll just sleep right through this, and your silly little deadline."

I heard Savage gasp, all three of them grunting as he tried to get away.

"No, you can't do this!" he was crying. "Please, Uncle Wyatt, just let him go!"

Wyatt didn't even look at him, waving the paw that still held the taser.

"Andrew, Eric, shut him up."

Savage grunted, then moaned, and a second later I saw him drop. I growled again, louder, hoping someone on our side was close enough to hear me. But Wyatt just shook his head, smiling as he pulled back the slide and aimed at me.

"It's your fault for going so far from the farm," he mocked me one last time, then his smile dropped. "Bye-bye, foxy."

BANG!


	55. Chapter 55

_"_ _Doctor, are you sure there's no other way?" Mom had already been begging with him for an hour. "There must be something!"_

 _The gazelle just looked at her, barely bothered to glance at me before he shook his head._

 _"_ _He's already gotten a lot more leeway than other predators have in his situation," he started again. I'd pretty much memorized the stupid speech by now. "Delaying it any longer would not only be irresponsible, but dangerous, for him and everyone around him."_

 _"_ _B-But he's still just a child," she just kept arguing with him. "I will not subject my son to that…_ thing _any earlier than I have to!"_

 _They stared at each other, then he sighed and shook his head._

 _"_ _I understand your fears, Mrs. Constantine," he said. "My wife and I went through something similar when it was time for our foster son to get his collar, but Randall does not have the same conditions that Nick does, which have the potential to make him more dangerous than mammals three times his size."_

 _Mom put a hoof to her mouth, tears in her eyes. She got upset whenever she had to talk about it, but I still didn't really know what was going on. I didn't bother trying to ask, knowing the doc would just explain it like he did every time. Except this time, I actually tried listening._

 _"_ _Your son has what's known as Instinctual Suppression Syndrome, or ISS, meaning the part of the brain responsible for controlling our more basic instincts never developed properly," he stopped, watching her like he always did. "This means he is more likely to see other mammals, especially larger predators, as a threat, and has less hesitation about reacting accordingly. There's also the matter of his_ other _chemical imbalance to consider."_

 _He actually looked at me for a second before going back to my mom._

 _"_ _His testosterone levels are higher than they should be, while his myostatin is lower, meaning he is more likely to act aggressively toward threats rather than flee or try other less physical ways of diffusing any hostile situation he might find himself in," he looked me over again. "His musculature is already more developed than it should be for a child, especially a fox, his age, and there's no telling what degree it'll reach once he does hit puberty."_

 _He shook his head again, pushing his glasses up his nose._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Mrs. Constantine, but I must insist you get him fitted for his collar as soon as possible. You all may be able to help him control himself for now, but that won't always be the case," he looked at her again, but this time there was something different about it. "I'm also going to suggest he begin anger management courses, as they may help him to better control himself in the future, or if none of you are available to calm him down."_

 _She just sniffed before nodding, taking my paw as we walked out._

* * *

I couldn't get the taste of Wyatt's blood off my tongue. No matter how many times I gulped water from the lake or spit it out, it was still there, burning its way from my mouth to my stomach. I'd finally managed to get enough breath to react when he'd pointed the gun at me, kicking his paw just as he'd pulled the trigger. The shot had gone wide, but he hadn't let go, the last of the cool leaving his eyes as I'd gotten up.

I could still hear myself growling at him, smell the fear that'd started just pouring off of him as I'd stalked closer, crouching low on all fours. Andrew and Eric had taken one last look at me before hightailing it, both screaming their heads off. I hadn't understood any of it at the time, and most of the color had faded from the world as I'd focused on Wyatt, the part of my brain I could never fully control or bury screaming at me to do one thing.

 _Kill! Kill the threat! KILL!_

I'd leapt at him, knocking him down, my teeth sinking into what ever part of him had been closest. I'd started jerking my head around, ripping and tearing, his screaming only driving me on. But then someone else had started, and I'd froze, looking up to see Savage staring at me. The disbelief and fear on his face had snapped me out of it enough to let go, to back away when he'd started getting up, taking off when he'd walked toward me. My tail tucked itself back between my legs as I thought about it, tears running down my face as I stared at myself in the water. I'd lost control before, more than once to the point where I'd hurt mammals, but it had never come out like that, where I'd actually…

 _No!_ I threw myself back from the water. That hadn't happened. I'd heard Wyatt moaning as I'd run off, I hadn't killed him!

 _But you wanted to…by god you wanted to._

I'd be lying to myself if I said I hadn't, after hearing everything he'd done, seeing him turn members of his own family against each other. What the hell kind of monster did that? I shuddered, getting as far from the lake as I could, curling up under a tree and throwing my tail over my face. I was always exhausted after a spell like that hit me, and all I wanted to do now was sleep, hopefully long enough for me to starve to death or something.

"Nick?"

My ears flicked at the voice, familiar and worried, faint but getting closer. "Nick, where are you?"

I didn't answer, staying low on all fours, my gut tightening when the scent hit me.

 _No, anything but that!_

I crouched, ready to bolt when she pushed through some grass, looking so relieved when she saw me.

"Oh, Nick," she smiled, sniffling a bit. "Thank god, I've been-"

I took off, speeding up every time I heard her call out behind me. I didn't know, didn't care where I was going, I just wanted to get away. I had to.

"N-Nick, wait!" she already sounded tired, her words actually slurring a bit as her steps faltered. The tranq Wyatt had hit her with still hadn't even completely worn off, and she'd been out here looking for me, but why would she want to?

"Go away, Carrots!" I yelled over my shoulder, my voice still tinged with a growl. Her scent thickened as she chased me, and I was terrified it'd drag me straight back down. "Y-You can't be near me anymore!"

She was starting to stagger, tears spilling down her cheeks as she reached for me.

"N-Nick, please!" she finally slowed down, her chest heaving as she cried harder. "Y-You don't have to be alone in this, I-I lo-aaaAAHH!"

I slid to a stop when she dropped out of sight, her scream cutting off with a grunt, then it went completely silent.

"No!" I took off, racing to where she'd vanished. "Judy!"

I barely managed to stop at the edge, panting as I stared into a steep ravine, Judy lying by a stump at the bottom of it. My heart jumped to my throat when I realized she wasn't moving, and I slid down to her, not caring about the rocks and sticks that dug into me, my whole side burning when I finally stopped. But I didn't care, dropping to my knees next to her, my paws hovering as I looked her over. She was bleeding in a few spots, her clothes torn and grass-stained; the worst of it was her ankle, already swollen, her skin discolored through her fur. I sighed in relief when she moaned, her face twisting in pain as her eyes cracked open.

"N-Nick?" she tried to move, biting her lip as she sucked a breath through her teeth. "Sweet cheese and crackers…"

"I know, you took quite a ride," I looked around, grabbing a couple thicker sticks and kneeling next to her feet. I pulled my old neckerchief from my pocket. "This is gonna hurt, but I should at least stabilize it a bit before I take you home."

She winced, pulling her foot away and glaring at me.

"I-I wouldn't be in this situation if you had just l-listened," the tranq still hadn't worn off all the way. "W-Why'd you keep running off like that?!"

My ears went flat against my head, I looked away.

"I-I just didn't want you to see me, n-not after what I did to…"

"Nick," she breathed sharply as she pushed herself up. "E-Eric, Andrew and Jack told me what happened. My uncle attacked and provoked you, it's not your fault what happened to him."

She looked at me.

"But it is kind of weird you didn't realize what was happening earlier, what was going on there?"

I shrugged, taking her paws and guiding them to the sticks I'd put on either side of her ankle.

"Just hold these still, I can take care of the rest," I started wrapping the cloth around them. "I was too focused on what he was saying, I didn't really notice what he was doing until it was too late."

I tied it off, groaning as I got back to my feet. I rubbed the spot where he'd kicked me; my ribs were bruised at least, if not fractured. I hadn't even noticed the pain until now. She sighed.

"But you sure got him back for it," she smirked a bit. "You mostly just got his shirt, but you tore up his chest enough that he'll hopefully think twice before screwing with preds again."

I stared down at her, relief flooding me. I hadn't ripped out Wyatt's throat, I hadn't killed him!

"Oh, thank god," I slumped back to my knees. "T-That's what I've been terrified of, Carrots. As much trouble as he's been, the last thing I wanted to do was…"

I trailed off when she grabbed my paw, the smirk fading as she crawled toward me.

"Jack said that wasn't the first time that's happened to you," she sounded hurt. "And he also said it's why he left the band."

She sat next to me, taking my paw in her lap. When she looked up, her eyes were bright with tears.

"Nick, what's going on with you?"

I hesitated, decided it was long past time I'd told her. I shoved out a breath, squeezing her paw, not meeting her gaze.

"The truth, Judy, is I don't need some drug to go savage," I got up and walked away, keeping my back to her. "I never have."


	56. Chapter 56

"W-W-What?" it was all she'd been able to say. "H-How is that possible? What?"

I hesitated a second before shaking my head.

"Well, not exactly savage, not the way those guys have," I swallowed and turned back to her. "I-It's something I was born with, my primal instincts are a lot harder to ignore than they should be, and when I get too stressed or freaked out, there's not much I can do to keep them from taking over."

I walked over and sat next to her.

"I've always been able to come back from it, though, as long as I had something familiar to focus on," I took her paw, forcing a smile. "Like the bunny I love."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Sweet talking won't get you out of this," she crossed her arms. "What's your excuse for keeping me in the dark about it?"

She was using that tone again, the one that about made me piss myself every time I heard it. I gulped, rubbing my neck.

"I-It's because," my paw clamped on my fur, it felt like I was choking. But there was no more hiding it. I sighed. "I knew you wouldn't want anything to do with me when you found out, you'd just see me as a freak like everyone else."

I turned away, not wanting her to see the tears in my eyes. That was when I noticed it, my ears perking up as I took a deep breath. That smell, all the way out here?

 _It can't be…_

I got up, following my nose to a break between some bushes, a narrow dirt path no one would find unless they were looking for it.

"Nick?" Carrots was on her paws and knees, her nose twitching as she leaned forward. "W-What's going on?"

"I don't know," I held up a paw. "But it'd be better of you stayed here, you can't exactly run with your leg like that."

She looked at me before nodding, crawling back to the stump and tucking herself against the side of it.

"Be careful, okay?"

I flashed a smile.

"You can count on it."

The field on the other side was empty, at least what I could see of it was. A crooked fence that was waist-high to me, made of scrap wood stood about ten feet away, and from the look of some of the pieces, it'd been there for years. The wind was still blowing our way, carrying that smell over it, and I still couldn't tell what it was.

"Hey, Carrots," I went back to her. She was still sitting by the stump, turned away from me, her ears up and flicking in all directions. She squeaked when I picked her up, glaring at me when I laughed.

"You're lucky my foot's out of commission, Wilde," she snapped. "How many times have I told you not to scare me like that?!"

I chuckled.

"I lost count, but you should know by now it'll never stop me," I kissed the top of her head. "I just wanna show you something."

I took her back to the fence, keeping my paws on her hips when I set her on one of the thicker posts.

"The same smell from the docks and Fru's wedding is all over this place, I just wanted to know if it looked familiar to you at all."

"Huh?" she looked around, her paws tightening on my wrists when she glanced over her shoulder. She gasped, her eyes going wide. "Oh god…"

I followed her stare, my jaw dropping when I saw them: six pointed petals, solid dark purple, bringing back memories and nightmares I'd purposefully made myself forget.

 _"_ _Go on, crybaby," Tony and his friends were laughing, shoving the flower in my face. "Just eat it!"_

 _I stared up at them, my nose twitching when the flower touched it. It was pretty, but it smelled funny, almost stinky. I shook my head and tried to move back, but I was stuck by a wall._

 _"_ _I don't want it, Tony," I said. He just laughed._

 _"_ _I don't care, I'm your big brother, so you_ have _to do what I say," he shoved the flower in my face again. "And I'm saying to eat this flower!"_

 _My ears dropped back. Mommy and Daddy had brought me home three years ago, why did Tony still hate me? I sniffled._

 _"_ _Fine," I grabbed it, bit off half the petals. It tasted just as funny as it smelled. Then Mommy came in._

 _"_ _Nicky?" she gasped when she saw the flower. I dropped it when I started shaking, curling up on the floor, groaning when my tummy started hurting. "Nicky!"_

"Nick? Nick!"

I gasped, the pain in her voice snapping me out of it. I looked up to see my claws had dug into her hips, relief flooding me when I saw I hadn't cut her. I gulped, burying my nose in her neck, feeling her arms wrap around my head.

"Oh, Nick," she choked a bit, and I felt tears soak my fur. "Y-You poor fox…"

I took a few more deep breaths filled with her scent before pulling away, my eyes locking with hers.

"T-This is where the drug's coming from," I managed. "Wyatt's been making it with these flowers!"

She blinked.

"But…my dad uses them to keep the bugs off our produce, h-how can they…"

"You have to ingest them, Carrots," I pointed over her shoulder. "Either that, or you have to inhale the pollen. The toxin's harmless until it gets in your bloodstream, then it screws with your brain and makes you lose it."

I picked her up off the fence, holding her close.

"Tony and his friends used to make me eat them, then say I'd gone nuts on my own, at least until Mom caught them," I shook my head. "It usually wears off in an hour or so, but the drug and darts are obviously pretty concentrated since everyone hit by them is still savage."

"Is there an antidote?" she grabbed my sweatshirt. "A-Any chance of getting them back to normal?"

"I don't know, but either way, we have to tell Buffalo Butt about this," I reached in my pocket, remembering I'd left my phone in my room. I flashed a small smile. "You don't happen to have your phone with you, do you?"

"No," her ears twitched, then fell back down. "I-I woke up to Andrew and Eric talking about what'd happened, and as soon as I could move, I was running out the door to look for you."

She hugged me.

"And Wyatt broke my recorder pen, so we can't get a direct confession from him, but statements from you, Jack, Eric and Andrew should be more than enough to get him arrested," she turned back to the field. "We should also pick a few of those, just in case a little 'accident' happens later."

I nodded.

"Good idea," I set her back on the fence, then vaulted over it, keeping my eyes on the ground as I walked to the closest patch of flowers. I held my breath as I gathered a pawful, tucking them in my pocket. I stared out over the field a minute, barely able to believe how many there were, and every one of them grown for the sole purpose of poisoning mammals. I went back to the fence and climbed over, but I couldn't work up the smile Carrots had on her face. Something just didn't fit.

"But Wyatt couldn't have been the only one behind this," I picked up Carrots and headed back toward the road. "Most of the victims are fans of mine, and he didn't have any idea who I was until you told him."

She nodded, laying her head on my shoulder.

"He must've been hired by whoever's behind this, we just have to find a way to make him crack," she looked up at the side of the ravine, it seemed even more steep than it had from the top. "Uh, you sure you can climb that?"

"Yeah," I knelt and put her down, turning my back to her. "But it'd be easier if I used both paws, think you can hang on for that long?"

A few seconds passed before her arms wrapped around my neck, and I felt her nod against my shoulder.

"I'll try, but now that the tranq's worn off I'm in a lot more pain," she shifted her foot and hissed. "Please tell me this is gonna be quick."

I patted her paws, then got on all fours and started climbing.

"I'll go as fast as I can without knocking you around too much, just try and think about something else."

She nodded again, her face buried in my fur. She was pretty light to me by now, but my ribs and gut still ached from Wyatt's beating, and I had to worry about making sure she didn't fall off. She came close a couple times, but she managed to hold on until we got to the top, where she slid to the ground with a long sigh.

"Oh, thank god…" she looked up at me as I brushed myself off, avoiding my front pocket. The last thing I wanted was risking getting pollen from those flowers on it.

"Hope you know your way home from here, Carrots," I picked her up so she reclined in my arms. "Because I was going pretty much blind."

She nodded.

"I know every inch of Bunnyburrow," she pointed the way she'd chased me. "We're actually just a couple miles from the farm. Oh, and Nick?"

She wrapped her arms around my neck, not giving me time to ask before she kissed me. I held her more tightly, hearing her moan when my tongue started to tangle with hers.

"I love you, Nick," she was beaming when she pulled away. "And we did it, we finally did it!"

I smiled.

"I love you, too, Judy," I kissed her nose. "And hell, yeah, we did!"


	57. Chapter 57

"You're lucky it's just a sprain," Savage finished with the splint. The three of us were sitting on one of the long-ass couches in their living room, Carrots curled up in my lap as he worked on her. "Even if it is a bad one."

He sat back and looked at her.

"With the way you fell, it could've been a lot worse."

Carrots nodded, leaning back against me. She'd grabbed the first phone she saw when we got back to the farm, and it'd been hard to miss the catch in her voice as she'd told Bogo everything Wyatt had done. She'd also put old Buffalo Butt on speaker, letting me, Jack and Eric have our say. The rest of the Hopps clan had either started looking for Wyatt and Andrew, they'd completely vanished after I'd run off, or were doing their best to keep the youngest ones out of the danger zone. The flowers were sealed in one of the evidence bags Carrots always seemed to have on paw, my sweatshirt stuffed in a paper bag she'd stapled shut.

"Thanks for your help, Jack," she smiled, wincing a bit, then looked up at me. "How you doing, Slick?"

I shrugged, something my beat up side did not like. I hadn't noticed I'd slid down the ravine on the same side Wyatt had ground up, my skin scraped raw and purple under my fur.

"Yeah, it hurts, but it's not the worst I've been through," that sure was the truth. I looked at Savage. "So how long will Carrots here be out of commission?"

He glared at her.

"I'd say eight to twelve weeks, but we'll be lucky if she stays down three days."

Carrots huffed, crossing her arms.

"That's because you always make way too big a deal out of these things," she argued. "It's just a little sprain!"

He growled. Apparently they'd had conversations like this a lot.

"It is _not_ 'just a little sprain', Judy," he snapped. "Your ankle was almost completely dislocated!"

She rolled her eyes.

"So what? I'm a fast healer, Jack, you know that. I'll probably only need three weeks at the m-"

I put a paw over her mouth, staring down at her.

"She'll be down for the eight weeks, I'll make sure of it," I smirked when she glowered at me, taking my paw away when she tried biting me.

"You're supposed to be on _my_ side, Nick!"

"I am," I wrapped my arms around her. "I'm going to make sure you don't do anything stupid and end up in a cast, or worse."

I nuzzled between her ears, chuckling when she groaned like an embarrassed kit.

"You're just gonna have to put that stubborn pride of yours down for a while, Fluff," I smirked. "I'm not budging on this."

"Neither am I," Savage crossed his arms. "You need to start taking these things seriously, Judy, you won't always be able to bounce right back from them."

She huffed again.

"You're sounding like Mom again, Jack," she actually sneered. "You sure sports medicine was the best option? They need nurses at preschools, too, you know."

We both gawked at her, that was one of the last things I'd expected.

"Now just hold on a sec, Carrots-"

"Save it, Nick," she shoved away from me, then tried to get up. She gasped sharply, falling back down. "Cheese and crackers…"

"See what I mean?" Savage crossed his arms again, looking smug. "You'll just be causing more damage if you try to walk on it, which means it'll take even longer to heal."

He went serious.

"So unless you want to be stuck with a limp the rest or your life, I suggest you get your head out of your ass and listen to me for once."

She tried staring him down, and when that didn't work, she looked up at me, flashing her 'kicked baby' face.

"Nice try, Fluff," I tapped her nose. "But like I said, I'm not budging on this."

She rolled her eyes, muttering to herself as she turned away and leaned back against me. I chuckled and took her shoulders; it didn't take her long to chill out when I started rubbing them. Savage cleared his throat.

"So, uh, how much longer until the cops get here?"

She barely opened one eye long enough to glance at the carrot-themed clock on the wall.

"I'd say another hour and a half at the least, I'm actually surprised they listened," she squirmed a bit. "Could you go a little lower? I've got an itch right…ah, right there!"

I laughed, letting my claws trail along her back by her tail. He shook his head.

"You guys are too much," he got up, hooking his backpack over his shoulder. "What do you mean you were surprised they listened?"

She rubbed her paws together, staring at her feet.

"Because it wasn't exactly a big success last time we called them out here, and it's only been about a day since then."

"Hey, we still helped take some crooks down," I reminded her. "And now they'll finally have what they need to finish the antidote, they'll be able to-"

"No!" she hit my thigh with the side of her fist. "That's not good enough, Nick! We still have no idea who's really behind this, so there's nothing stopping them from doing it again!"

She turned to look at me, her eyes full of tears.

"It doesn't matter what we found today, Nick, we still failed!" she sniffed. "A-All those mammals counting on us, w-we still let them down!"

She curled up against my chest, burying her face in my shirt. I hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head.

"We'll get there, Judy, it's just gonna take time," I smoothed a paw down her arm. "Spots told me they're working overtime to hunt down Baby Blues dealers and get them off the streets, and now we've locked up the source. It won't be much longer now."

I knew she didn't believe it, I sure as hell didn't, but it was all I could think to say to calm her down. She sniffled, drying her eyes (and nose) on my shirt before looking up at me again. I sighed.

"Okay, could you use a tissue for that next time?" I played it up. "This thing's dry-clean only!"

She giggled a bit, just what I'd been hoping for. Savage groaned.

"Ugh, you guys are too much," he got up, hooking his pack over his shoulder. "Just make sure she stays down for the next two months, Nick, or at least takes it easy."

I threw up the old salute.

"You got it."

He rolled his eyes, stopping by the door to let their mom through before slipping out. She watched him leave, then turned to us, an unsettled look on her face.

"Mrs. Hopps?" I straightened, as much as I could with Carrots still using me as a body pillow. "Everything okay?"

She messed with her paws, just like Fluff did when she got anxious sometimes.

"Well, yes and no," she kept toying with her paws, then let them drop. "I've been wanting to speak to you two, alone."

I glanced around; besides us, the huge room was still completely empty.

"Well, now's as good a time as any, I guess," I held out a paw to where Savage had sat. "What's going on?"

She hesitated before walking over, taking a seat and getting right to the point.

"I need to know if all the talk I've been hearing is true," she focused on me. "Nicolas, are you in a relationship with my daughter?"

I sighed.

"Was starting to wonder when you'd ask us that," I tightened my hold on Carrots. "The short answer is yes, for a few weeks now."

"And before you bring is up, no, he didn't force me," she pushed herself up and looked at her mom. "I was the one who started it, after we both realized what was happening between us."

Her voice was firm, with just the slightest hitch left over from her crying fit.

"A-And you can do whatever you want: ban me from the farm, disown me, but I'm not leaving him," she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed under my chin. "I love him, Mom."

Mrs. Hopps smiled a bit, then shook her head.

"I know, honey, a blind mammal wouldn't have any trouble seeing that," she smoothed the fur on her cheek, then cleared her throat. "It's just hard for some of us to understand."

"And I get that," I said. "I know this isn't exactly a common thing."

I focused on her.

"But I can promise you, this isn't just some 'try everything' crap on my end, I've never cared about anyone the way I care about Judy," I tilted Carrots' head back and smiled at her. "And I plan on proving that to her for as long as she'll let me."

She sniffled, wiping her eyes with a big grin on her face.

"And I can promise you the same thing, Nick," she took my paw in both of hers. "I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

Mrs. Hopps sighed again, and actually looked a little jealous.

"It's obvious you two have something special," she started. "And I can at least promise my support, but I'm afraid your father isn't so understanding."

Carrots barely reacted, leaning back and keeping my paw in her lap.

"I honestly didn't expect much else from him," she said. "Not after what happened with Jimmy, Carla and Terrence."

Her mother cringed a bit, then went back to that small, nervous smile.

"I'll speak with him as soon as he and the boys are back from their search, but I'm sure he'll still want to talk to you both himself," she cleared her throat. "Speaking of which, Nick, why don't you go out and joint them? I can help keep an eye on Judy while she helps the rest of us girls watch the little ones."

She managed to laugh a little, and even with Carrots' 'kicked baby' look on full blast, it wasn't hard to make my choice.

"That'll work, but she's not supposed to walk for the next few weeks, or really put much weight on her leg at all."

Mrs. Hopps nodded.

"There's plenty of jobs that'll keep her sitting, don't worry about that," she gave Carrots one of those looks only a mom could seem to manage. "And if she tries to make a run for it, I'll just have to leash her to the sink like I did when she was a kit."

Carrots groaned again, loudly, flopping her beet-red ears over her face and holding them there.

"I promise I'll behave," she mumbled. "Just, please, don't bring out the leash!"

Her mom just laughed.

* * *

 _Just a note, when I say 'leash', I mean an actual baby one, not a dog leash! Just wanted to clear that up..._


	58. Chapter 58

_Well, this was the last thing I expected…_

The cops from Precinct One had shown up, half combing through the Night Howler field to find anything we might've missed, the rest helping the Hopps family track down Andrew and Wyatt. So far, neither team was having much luck. But none of that was surprising, it was the news vans that had started pulling up almost instantly after the cops had left the main house. Pretty much every station, with animals of every size surrounding the porch, the group split pretty much down the middle between preds and prey. I sighed, letting the curtain I'd been looking past fall back into place.

"Looks like we can't avoid that any longer," I turned back to the living room, Carrots and Mrs. Hopps still sitting on the couch behind me. "Just wish I knew how they all got wind of it so quickly."

Carrots shrugged.

"I'm actually surprised we haven't had to deal with this yet, they did an amazing job keeping this under wraps," she tried getting up again, Mrs. Hopps grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back down.

"You stay sitting, young lady, I'm going to get a set of crutches," she just rolled her eyes when Carrots groaned. "Now don't start with that, you're lucky I'm not making you use a wheelchair."

It was hard not to laugh at the terrified look on Carrots' face, this must've been a long-standing argument with them. Once her mom left, Carrots sighed, crossing her arms and slumping against the arm of the couch.

"Ugh, it took me _forever_ to get in shape for the academy," she slapped her paws over her face. "I don't even wanna think how long it'll take me to get back from this!"

I shook my head, then walked back and sat next to her.

"It's three months, Carrots, not a year or two," I dragged a claw up her leg when she threw her feet in my lap, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "And you know I'll be there for you the whole time."

She smiled.

"Of course I know that, Slick," her face fell. "I'm just…not used to being laid up like this. And we've come so far in this case, I was just hoping we'd be able to see it through to the end…"

I sighed.

"I'm sure we'll still be able to do _something_ , at least," I was fishing in the air and we both knew it. "I mean, we're the ones who found all those animals, _and_ we found out how they're going savage, even if we don't exactly know 'why' yet."

I shrugged.

"I doubt they'd leave us out just because you're injured."

She shook her head.

" _We_ only managed to get this far because of _you,_ Nick," she tugged an ear over her shoulder and started stroking it. "If it weren't for _your_ connections, _your_ skills and _your_ knowledge of the city, we'd still be looking at preds snapping and vanishing for no reason."

She bit her lip, and it didn't take a detective to figure out she was trying to hold back tears.

"A-And I was _still_ prepared to keep you out of this case any way I could, even if I had to arrest you for jaywalking or something," she shook her head again. "I-I was so determined to prove I could do this job, that I didn't need anyone's help to get to the top, but you and everyone you know proved all of that wrong!"

I didn't think I'd ever seen her like this before, so scared and vulnerable, and seeing it now just about tore me to shreds. I slid off the couch and knelt next to her head when she threw herself down, sobbing into the little pillow she'd been leaning against. I spent the next few minutes just stroking her ears, taking her paw when she started beating her fist against the corner of the frame peeking through the torn upholstery.

"Beating up yourself, or the furniture, isn't gonna fix anything, Fluff," I got to my feet, slipped my paws under her and picked her up. "And I was only able to do any of that because I had you and the rest of the gang backing me up, I never would've been able to get past all that old fear on my own."

She sniffled, looking up at me as I sat back down, hugging her to me.

"You are an amazing bunny, Carrots," I'd never get tired of saying it. "You're one of the most driven mammals I've ever known, and you've never let anyone get in the way of that. So many animals look up to you, including me."

My burning ears went back against my head. I smirked.

"You're also brave, generous, loyal and one hell of a kisser."

She snorted.

"Now you're just copying me, you lazy fox."

I shrugged.

"So what? It's still true," I leaned closer, tapping her nose with mine. "You really are incredible, Judy, and don't let _anyone_ tell you otherwise."

I moved to kiss her, both of us freezing when we heard a loud, wet sniff.

"Oh, cripes, here come the waterworks!"

We looked to see her dad slouched in the doorway, openly bawling. Carrots groaned, her head falling back to my shoulder.

"Sweet cheese and crackers," she looked back at him. "Again, Dad, really?"

"S-Sorry," he just kept going. "T-That was just so beautiful!"

He leaned against the doorframe a while longer, then did his best to act like the sobbing fit hadn't happened.

"But I'm afraid that still won't get you out of this talk," he walked over and sat on the edge of the coffee table, holding his paws in front of him.

"I won't lie and say I've never had a problem with foxes, son," he focused on me. "You have to know our history isn't exactly a good one, and one of the biggest bullies in this town while Jude was going up happened to be one."

I wasn't exactly sure where he was going with this, but decided it was better to just let him talk.

"For the longest time, I thought you were the exception to the rule, Nick, because you'd been raised with prey's values instead of pred's, but after hearing what you've done for my daughter, and for mammals in general, I realized I was wrong. However," he held up a paw, just when I'd started feeling relieved. "That doesn't mean I approve of your relationship, even an old buck like me knows about your…reputation, Nick."

My tail frizzed, my ears going flat against my head. I should've known that was gonna come back to bite me. But before I could say anything, he started on Carrots.

"There are so many eligible rabbits out there, Jude, and most of your sisters haven't had any problem marrying the bucks we've picked for them."

Carrots' paw tightened on my sweats, and I could just about hear her teeth grinding.

"Those bucks only wanted one thing, for me to completely give up my dream and start having their kits as soon and often as possible," she breathed hard through her nose. "But a quiet life on the farm is never what I've wanted, you and Mom both know this!"

Her voice started shaking.

"And yet you both have done nothing but discourage me since I said I wanted to be a cop in that play, you were even excited when you found out I was a meter maid!" she was barely keeping the tears back. I took her paw and squeezed it, showing she had at least mammal on her side. Her dad just sighed.

"And look what's happened to you since then, Judy," he ticked them off on his fingers. "You almost died a hundred times at the academy, you've been locked up and have had mammals threaten to feed you to savage preds," he put his paw down, his eyes narrowing to slits. "And now I find out you've rutted a male you're not married to, and under my own roof!"

We both froze, our fur standing completely on end, but he wasn't done yet.

"That is _not_ how we raised you, Judy!" he jumped to his feet. "So you can either stop whatever relationship you think you have with him, or you can say good-bye to being welcome on this farm _or_ part of this family!"

He was panting when he finished, his fists shaking a bit at his sides. For the longest time, the only sound was us breathing, the murmur of the crowd in the front yard. I started to open my mouth, my whole world cracking as I thought what I was about to say.

"No."

Carrots' voice was soft, calm and even. And I didn't need to see her face to know she had the coldest look possible on it.

"I already told Mom, you can ban me from the farm, disown me, but I'm _never_ going to leave Nick, I'm done with letting you two try and control what path I take," she pushed away from me, got to her knees and faced me. Before I could ask, she'd grabbed my snout and dragged me down, her scent exploding when she rubbed her chin over my head, trailing slowly along my muzzle until she reached my nose. Before I realized it, I'd grabbed her waist and pulled my cheeks across hers, loving the bright smile on her face when I'd finished. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me, and it wasn't until she'd ended it that I even remembered her dad was still in the room. Completely slack-jawed and wide-eyed as he stared at us.

"I love our whole family, I always will," she turned back to him. "But if some of the most important mammals in my life can't accept who I'll quite possibly spend the rest of my life with, then maybe it _is_ time for me to leave them behind."

I was stunned, barely able to comprehend how I could mean that much to her, that she was willing to cut out such a big part of her life, and I opened my mouth to say so. But again, before I could even start, she put a finger to my lips, a sly smile on hers as her eyes darted toward her dad. Who pretty much looked like he was about to faint. It was a few more seconds before his sputtering turned into actual words.

"N-Now hold on just a second there, Jude…"

She smirked, still facing away from him.

 _It's called a hustle, sweetheart._


	59. Chapter 59

The second Mrs. Hopps came back with the crutches, Carrots and I headed outside to face the crowd, a quick glance back telling me Stu was about to get the talking-down of a lifetime.

 _Sucks to be him…_

But even with the crutches, and being as used to using them as I'm sure she was, Carrots still leaned against me to keep her balance, her paws shaking with how hard she was trying not to just throw them down. I pushed the door open before I had a chance to think twice about it, the murmur we'd been hearing blasting all the way to top volume.

"Officer Hopps! Officer Hopps!" a squirrel at the front of the prey side skittered up to the railing, planting himself right in front of her. "Nigel Swift of ZNN," he flipped open his notepad. "Were you aware of your uncle's actions? Why did it take you so long to start investigating him?"

I glanced down at Carrots, putting an arm around her and squeezing her shoulder. She glanced up at me, then gulped, her small smile dropping when she turned back to the squirrel.

"D-Did I know what my uncle was doing? No, no I did not, but if I had, I can assure you not even our family ties would have stopped me from bringing him in."

The squirrel scribbled on his notepad, then tucked it in his pocket, scurrying back to the crowd. An elephant waved her trunk, the ground shaking when she stepped forward, holding out a microphone the size of the Hopps family truck.

"Abigail Trunkton, The Daily Z," she started. "Officer Hopps, your uncle holds doctorates for both biochemistry _and_ toxicology, do you have any idea why he decided to use those skills to harm others?"

Carrots didn't hesitate this time.

"He is a scared, close-minded mammal that's trapped in the past, and he let those fears control him to the point he thought he could play with mammals' lives and get away with it," she swallowed, her voice getting tight. "And I can only hope that no one is foolish enough to follow in his footsteps, because they will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, no matter what species or class they are."

Several others on the prey side clamored for attention as the elephant stepped back, but she focused on the pred side, pointing to a white paw that kept coming up over the sea of heads.

"Yes, you, near the back!"

An arctic fox pushed through the front, stumbling when the lion behind her shoved her. She didn't even seem to notice.

"Skye Winters, Tundra Town Key-In, and this question is for you, Mr. Wilde," she held out a recorder. "Have you found anything further on the connection between these attacks and your past?"

That shut the whole crowd up, everyone leaning forward, their paws and hooves ready to record anything I said. I swallowed.

"H-Have we found anything else that connects these attacks to my past? Yes, yes we have," I closed my eyes, shoving the memories back. "The drug was created from a flower commonly known as a Night Howler. My older brother and his friends would force me to eat them in order to make me go savage, most likely so our parents would realize how dangerous I was and give me up."

Her icy blue eyes darted over me, her nose wrinkling before she focused back on my face.

"And is it also true that you and another fox were adopted by a well-to-do prey couple? More specifically, the mob-affiliated zebras known as the Constantines?"

I froze, my tail thumping against Carrots' crutch. Another fox came forward, this time a tan cape.

"Bethany Saide, Sahara Square News. My sources tell me your birth parents were also involved with the mafia, Mr. Wilde, specifically, the Big family," she held out her microphone. "Is it true you are also his godson, and that he was the one who got you adopted by the Constantines?"

A shiver went down my spine. How the hell could they know all this? I gulped, no point in lying about it now.

"Yes, that's all true," my voice was a lot calmer than I felt. A wave of gasps went through both sides. "And since I'm sure what your next question will be, yes, I was also involved with the mob myself, from about thirteen until I was twenty-two."

I felt a paw on my side, looked down to see Carrots smiling up at me. It took a lot, but I managed to smile back.

"Are there any other questions you all want to get out of your systems before we get back on topic?" I turned back to them, my eyes narrowed. "Better hurry, I won't make this offer twice."

Skye waved her paw again.

"I have just one more," she glanced at Carrots, then back at me. "I can smell that you two have marked each other, so I'm assuming the rumors about your romantic relationship are true?"

I didn't hesitate this time, a real smile crossing my face.

"Yes, it's true, I'm in love with Officer Judy Hopps."

She gripped the paw I still had on her shoulder, her eyes glowing as she faced the crowd.

"And I'm in love with punk star Nick Wilde," she glared at the prey side. "And before any of you ask, no, he did not force me into anything. He just hustled me into letting him help with this case, and I thank god every day he did."

She looked back up at me.

"Because without him, I _never_ would have been able to solve this case, and now I hope he'll never leave my side."

I leaned down and kissed her, ignoring the new surge of gasps and questions that came with it.

"Nothing you say or do could keep me away, Judy, I've already promised you that."

I kissed her again, then straightened, glaring at the reporters and daring any of them to say something. After a few minutes of awkward, mostly-silent shuffling, a pig waved her hoof.

"Tammy Willis, The Savannah Central Times," she tapped her pen against her pad. "Are you aware the third member of your band and two of your staff have gone savage since you left Zootopia?"

I stopped cold, dread coursing through me as her words sank in.

" _What?!_ "

* * *

I probably did at least 110 the whole way back to the city, Carrots too busy making calls to notice. Even if she had, I doubt she would've done much to stop me. I set the cruise control when my foot started falling asleep, keeping an eye on the empty road ahead while I glanced over at her.

"Mrs. King, please, just calm down," she was talking to Trevor and Paul's mom. I couldn't really hear what she was saying, but it was hard to miss how much she was crying. "Just take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

Carrots was quiet for a while, her nose twitching as she listened, her good foot starting to thump against the seat. After a few minutes, the call cut off.

"Carrot sticks," she shook her phone. "Lost the signal."

She sighed, dropping it in the cup holder.

"It's just as well, though, I guess, I couldn't really understand what she was saying."

She slumped back in her seat, wincing when her ankle hit the edge.

"But I think the gist of it was she and Paul ran into Ed and Rocco yesterday, and they decided to get lunch together," she shivered, leaned forward and turned on the heat. "They go to some pred place uptown, she goes to the bathroom, and by the time she gets back they've all gone crazy."

She swallowed.

"Wolfard called me right after we started," she went on. "He and Fangmeyer were on patrol in the same area and heard the commotion. They managed to sedate them, but not before Ed attacked a hyena. Last they heard, she was in critical condition, but she's expected to make a full recovery."

I sighed in relief, at least there was that.

"And now that we found the Night Howlers, they can finally finish the antidote," I flipped off the cruise control, slowing down as the city came into sight. I glanced over at her. "How much longer until the rest of the cops are done processing the farm?"

She shrugged, picking her phone up when it rang.

"Hard to say, but it should be some time before dark," she accepted the call. "Hello?…Yes, I'm sorry we disappeared, Chief, but…What? You did? When?"

She gasped.

"Yes, I understand…Yes, sir, I'll tell him…" her breath hitched. "Yes, t-thank you, sir…Good-bye."

She stared at her phone after the call ended, her paw shaking when she set it back in the cupholder. It was hard to miss the smell of her tears.

"I take it that was bad news?"

She gulped, then nodded.

"T-They found Wyatt and Andrew, just past the edge of our land," she sniffled. "J-Just as Wyatt shot him…"


	60. Chapter 60

_"This is a complete crock of shit you got us into, mate!"_

 _Quincy and I ducked down on either side of the door, staying out of sight until the bullet storm coming at us died down. His parents had flown him in from Sydney to live with his aunt and uncle, a pair of cops they thought would 'put him on the right path'. The puma hadn't even made it downtown before getting into trouble. I glared over at him, my ears flat against my head to dull out the firefight._

 _"You think I don't know that?!"_

 _I'd never even thought the Northside Eagles would show their ugly mugs around here, an arcade pretty much smack in the middle of White Dragon territory. But someone had apparently squealed that I'd be here, and now Quincy and I were stuck behind the games we'd been playing._

Not exactly how I wanted to spend my sixteenth….

 _I glanced around, seeing all the other kids and their parents huddled up in the dark, the staff cowering behind the snack and prize counters, trying to keep outta range. All their lives in danger just because I'd shown up. Ugh, I was so fucking stupid!_

 _"We gotta end this_ now _, Quincy!" I dug into the big pocket on my leg, pulling out one of the spare clips I kept there._

Damn it, last one, _I ejected the spent one and shoved this one in._ Better make these shots count!

 _I snuck around the edge when the shooting slowed down, seeing several of them had stopped to reload. The front of the arcade was all windows, most of the glass lying in shards on the floor. I leaned past the edge just as far as I needed to get a clear shot, barely bothering to aim before the recoil shot to my shoulder. I ducked back when I heard one of them howl, smirking when I heard them curse me out._

 _"You're fucking dead, Wilde! You hear me?!"_

 _Part of me still cringed when I heard that name, my birth parents' name. I've used it since I started working for Big, partially because I'd hoped it would keep mammals who hated me from going after my adoptive family. Not that I knew why I really still cared. They'd lied to me every day since they'd brought me home, every day for nine fucking years._

 _"Wilde?"_

 _I leaned out to take another shot, ignoring whoever called me. I focused on the Eagles' leader, a red fox that gave every one of us an even worse name._

 _"Wilde!"_

Say goodnight, motherfucker…

" _Wilde!_ "

I jumped awake, my fur standing on end as I hissed. Bogo stepped back and held out his hooves.

"Easy there, Wilde," his voice was calm as always, but I could tell I'd spooked him. He'd sure as hell spooked me. "Despite what Hopps might tell you, I'm not going to hurt you."

It was a bad joke, but I chuckled anyway, getting up off all fours and sitting on the edge of the horse-sized seat I'd curled up in.

"Sorry about that, Chief," I said quietly. "You just pulled me out of a nightmare."

I'd headed straight to All Saints once we got back to the city, Doc Muskrat looking over Carrots and me after filling us in on the situation with Ed, Paul and Rocco. There'd been a hundred witnesses, each of them backing up Mrs. King's story: they'd come in just before noon and had been served by a new waitress. So new, in fact, that no one could remember seeing her before. Everything had been fine until Mrs. King had hit the bathroom, then the waitress had brought out a round of drinks, saying they were on the house. They'd spent most of the morning in Sahara Square, and hadn't really thought twice about it. Once they'd realized something was wrong, it'd been too late, and the waitress had split. I groaned, burying my face in my paws before dragging them through my hair.

 _This is never gonna stop, is it?_

I looked up at the Chief, surprised when he sat down next to me, his shoulders slumping like the whole world rested on them. Which, at the moment, wasn't really too far from the truth.

"I take it Hopps told you everything that happened after you left the farm?"

I nodded, just the thought of it making me shudder. Wyatt and Andrew had been laying low in an old shed on the southern edge of the Night Howler field, almost identical to a slightly bigger one on the western edge, where they'd set up a lab to make the darts and Baby Blues pills. The resemblance to Princess Tarts hadn't been an accident, either. They'd stolen the molds and press from a smaller factory that had gotten closed down, just before Bunnyburrow. Something about that same factory sacking Andrew after he'd allegedly started a fire in the basement as some sort of sick prank, then had let it go completely out of control. Wyatt had decided it'd be killing two birds with one stone; he'd get to cause mass hysteria toward preds, and get the company that had cost his son his job shut down for good.

Their plan had been to wait until everyone had finished searching the field, or at least gotten far enough away for them to slip out unnoticed. Suffice it to say things hadn't exactly gone their way, and they'd ended up getting spotted, making a run for it until a pair of elephants blocked their path. In the few seconds it'd taken them to turn around, they'd been surrounded, Eric and Savage at the head of the group and begging them to just give up. But Wyatt hadn't, pulling the same gun he'd stolen from me, shooting Andrew in the gut before the buck had even started talking. He'd still been bleeding from all the bites and scratches I'd given him, apparently he'd kept messing with them so they wouldn't stop, and had kept everyone away by waving the gun around and ranting like a screwball. Going on about how no preds could be trusted because of how easily they'd all fallen under the drug's influence, that they weren't normal even after it had left their systems. Bogo had taken one step after the rabbit's rant, and the next thing anyone knew, they were staring at two dead bunnies. One with a bullet in his spleen and the other with a splattered brain and shattered skull. Andrew had died just before they'd gotten him to the closest hospital. I shuddered again, sure the Hopps family would never really recover from it. Any of those things on their own would be devastating, but happening one after another like that? I couldn't think of anyone who'd be able to get past it.

I looked back up at Bogo, but he wasn't facing me, focused on the set of doors leading to the small mammal wing of the hospital. Doc Muskrat was walking next to a sheep orderly pushing a wheelchair, a barely-conscious Judy slumped over in it. For the first time, there wasn't any annoyance when Muskrat looked at me, her eyes full of a deeper sadness than I'd thought her capable of. I swallowed, sliding off the chair when they got close.

"I take it she wasn't doing well?"

Muskrat shook her head, the sheep going off somewhere else.

"Her ankle is just as her brother said, a grade three sprain," she took out the tablet tucked under her arm and flicked through a few screens. "But the last few hours have left her an emotional mess. She may not have actually witnessed her uncle kill himself and her cousin, but learning that fact, combined with everything else he had done, was enough to send her into hysterics. She actually begged to be sedated, just so she could stop thinking about it, at least for a while. Because she was so distressed, I allowed it, but it should wear off in the next hour or so."

She flicked through a few more screens.

"I've prescribed her anti-anxiety medication, and I recommend she take it for at least the next month. There's also one for sleeping pills, though those should only be used if absolutely necessary, I don't want to risk her forming a dependence on them," she blew out a breath and looked up at me. "And from the sound of it, her family already has too much to deal with right now, and as much as you infuriate me, Wilde, it's obvious how much you care about her, so I'm trusting you to look after her."

I nodded, picking up Carrots like I would a sleeping kid. She slumped against my shoulder, her nose twitching when she buried her face in my neck. I felt her shiver, her shaking paw weakly grabbing my shirt. Even drugs weren't enough to keep everything out of her mind.

"I'll do whatever I can to help her, you can count on that."

Muskrat nodded, glanced at Bogo, then walked off, taking the wheelchair with her. I glanced up at the Chief, my heart going to my throat when I heard Judy whimper, felt her tears in my fur.

"I-I know what you're about to say," I turned away from him, that impassive look was just too much for me right now. "We can't be on this case anymore, and for once, I agree with you."

I ran a paw over her ears, even they were trembling a bit.

"Carrots can't take much more of this, and I really can't, either," I swallowed, tightening my grip on her. "Just let me take her home, then I'll answer questions you might still have for me."

He just nodded, following when I went for the doors.

"I couldn't make Hopps work in her condition, and you never worked for me in the first place," he chuckled a bit, then frowned. "But, you did still find what you went there to, so I'm prepared to send the paperwork through, if you're still looking to get your badge."

I didn't even hesitate.

"Of course," I smoothed a claw over Carrots' cheek, brushing away a tear. He looked at me.

"There is also the option of joining the academy," he started. "You'd get formal training, and you could-"

I shook my head, cutting him off.

"With all due respect, sir, no," I sighed. "I'd be gone for months, and I can't leave her alone, especially when she's like this."

I tried to smile.

"Besides, I already know both sides of the law like that back of my paw, and you and I both know I could never make it as a cop," I actually chuckled. "More than likely, I'd just waste everyone's time trying to get out of all that paperwork."

He snorted, but it was hard to miss the smile that swept across his face. Even if it did vanish the next second, his jaw falling when we got to my car. Every side had been keyed and clawed, the tires slashed, most of the windows shattered, _'Fuck You Wilde!'_ spray painted in neon orange across the back windshield.

"What the _hell_?!"


	61. Chapter 61

"Just when I was thinking things couldn't get any worse."

I slumped over in my seat, dropping my face in my paws. Glancing over, I saw Carrots curled up in the next chair, managing to smile when she snuggled further under my jacket.

 _Hard to believe someone so cute and tiny took down a freaking elephant,_ I winced. _And I'm sure if she ever heard me say that, I'd be dead._

Bogo had taken us to the station while the CSI team looked over my car, not that they'd need any fur or prints they might find. The whole thing had been caught on camera, and the perps hadn't even tried to hide their faces. One of them had been the same groundhog from my Junior Ranger Scouts troop, the other two a pair of rabbit bucks I'd never seen before. They'd taken care of the windows and spray paint, while he'd knifed the tires. All three had run off when a pair of wolves had shown up, one of them clawing my car while the other keyed it. I'd dealt with mammals going after me before, it was why I'd moved outside the city, but these five had only done this because I'd said I loved a bunny, and that same bunny had said she loved me.

 _Makes me wonder why I still bother to try and change things…_

A lot of things had gotten better for preds, about half of which wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gotten behind them, but prey still did everything they could get away with to keep us down. Finding loopholes in the new laws, throwing the "reserve the right to refuse" signs in our faces when they weren't just slamming doors in them. But the ZPD, the fire department, hell, even the freaking city council were all at least half-pred by this point, not to mention we still had a lion for a mayor. They counted on us to save and run their lives, while making ours barely worth living.

"Um, N-Nick Wilde?"

I looked up to see a nervous gazelle, her hooves tapping on the case she was holding.

"Yeah?"

She messed with the case again, then shoved out a breath.

"M-My name's Amara, a-and I just wanted to say I'm a big fan," she bit her lip. "I-I always overheard Judy talking about how awesome you guys are, so last month I asked to borrow her CD, a-and I've been hooked ever since!"

She glanced around, then shoved the case toward me: the album we'd released just before our last concert.

"I-I know this isn't the best time, but could you…please sign this for me?"

I stared at it, then gave a shocked laugh.

"Sure," I took the pen she held out, flipped open the case, and wrote on the inside flap: _'To Amara, a real sweetheart, stay wild! Nick.'_ She squealed when I passed them back to her, shaking my paw so hard I thought she'd drag me off the seat.

"Oh, thank you, Nick, thank you so much!" she ran off, right into the arms of a laughing panther.

"See? I told you he'd sign it! You just had to ask!"

She giggled, nuzzling him.

"I don't know why I was so nervous, he's just as nice as Judy said he is!"

My whole face warmed up at that one. So, Carrots _had_ been talking about me to her co-workers, and had even gotten some of them interested in my band. I looked at her again, smiling when she batted at her nose in her sleep. I leaned over and kissed the side of her head; she whined when I pulled away, making some kind of clicking noise when I picked her up and laid her head in my lap. Whatever Doc Muskrat had given her would've worn off hours ago, but it looked like her own exhaustion was enough to keep her down, at least for now.

I caught the looks some of the other cops threw at us, a pretty even mix of disgust and excitement, from both pred and prey. I threw up a paw, then went right back to ignoring them, I had a lot more important stuff to worry about right now. I pulled out my phone and texted Leo, but I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up quitting on the spot after all this.

 _'_ _before you say anything, sir, i'm not gonna quit.'_

I sighed in relief.

 _'_ _You have no idea how much I needed to hear that Leo'_

 _'_ _Hows everyone else taking all this'_

I scratched behind Carrots' ear as I waited for him to get back, chuckling when she turned and nuzzled into my stomach. I leaned down and kissed her temple again, glancing at my phone as it buzzed.

 _'_ _about as well as you might think. astelle's pretty pissed at you.'_

I sighed, no surprise there.

 _'_ _I think Id be more worried if she wasnt'_ I sighed. _'But we found the plant that was being used to make the drug We should have an antidote soon'_

 _'_ _thank goodness, yumiko and astelle haven't stopped crying since it happened'_

Carrots groaned when my paw twitched, my claws digging into her cheek where I'd been petting her. My ears perked up when I heard Fangmeyer, the tiger bent double as she whispered something to Wolfard. She stopped when she saw me, Wolfard giving me a weird look before taking off somewhere else. Fangmeyer sighed, walked over and sat next to me.

"That was the last thing I expected of him," she muttered, then turned to me. "He's apparently lost all respect for Judy because she admitted to being with you."

I groaned.

"Because we're prey and pred, or is it just because I'm a fox?"

She shrugged.

"I'm not really sure, but he said it was something he just couldn't deal with, at least for now," she looked toward where he'd disappeared. "But I think it has more to do with everything that's happened than whatever relationship you two have."

"Speaking of 'everything that's happened'," I glanced down at Carrots, then lowered my voice. "What's up with Wyatt and Andrew? Did he really do what Bogo said he did?"

She looked unsure, then nodded.

"Yes, Wolfard and I were both there when it all happened, we just got back from taking them to the morgue," she drummed her claws on her leg. "They haven't been able to do much with the Night Howlers yet, obviously, but they're pretty sure you're right about them being the main ingredient in this drug."

I swallowed.

"And that's what I've been afraid of. There aren't many animals that know what those things can do to you, and even less that have the skill to actually make some kind of weapon out of them."

She looked at me.

"But, you said Wyatt was just a hired paw, that he had no idea who you even were until Judy told him."

I shrugged.

"I know, and the sad thing is animals who hate preds enough to do this aren't exactly in short supply, and even though I still seem to be the main target, that doesn't really do much to narrow it down."

She looked at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, anyone I can think of who'd personally hate me enough to do this is either dead or in prison," I rubbed the side of my head, then dug my claws in. "And all it took to find the victims was looking at their Furbook profiles and seeing what music they liked."

She blinked.

"But you said every victim had the same message on their profile, some old code you and your brothers came up with when you were kids," she shifted in her seat. "Wouldn't that mean it'd have to be someone directly connected to you?"

I shook my head.

"That code wasn't exactly a secret, we shared it with all our friends, but if any of them remembered it, I'm sure it would've shown up long before now."

She looked thoughtful, then nodded, about to speak when the radio on her shoulder started going crazy.

 _"_ _Attention all officers, jailbreak in progress, North Marshlands Penitentiary!"_

I froze at the name, then my tail started nervously thumping against the seat.

"D-Did that just say North Marshlands?"

She'd already jumped to her feet when I'd squeaked it out, and stared down at me with a peeved look on her face.

"Yes, and it's bad enough that all officers are needed," she ran a paw over her face. "So if you've got something to say, you better say it fast."

I hesitated, random memories flashing through my head. I gulped.

"B-Because that's where my brother's been locked up…"


	62. Chapter 62

The zebra they dragged into questioning later that night looked even worse than I'd expected. Most of his hair had fallen out, and it was hard to find a part of him that didn't look like it'd been dragged through a barbed wire fence. He was pretty scrawny, too, and the way his eyes were glazed over told me he only had about half his brain left.

 _Is it really him?_

I glanced at the chief, who just stood there with the same flat glare on his face, watching the one-sided questioning play out. Amara had been grilling the zebra for over an hour, and there'd barely been anything more than an ear flick from him. I climbed off the chair I'd been standing on when she came out, sighing when I saw the look on her face.

"Guess that didn't go like you wanted."

She shook her head.

"It's like he couldn't even hear me," she looked at me. "How did you put up with that?"

I shrugged.

"We mostly avoided each other," I turned to the chief. "Give me a chance to talk to him, I might be able to get through to him."

Bogo groaned, ticking off on his fingers why it was a bad idea.

"One, you're not an officer, Wilde," he started. "And two, even if you were, it'd be unethical to let you speak to him. You grew up with this mammal, he was your brother, you're too close to this."

I crossed my arms.

"You think I don't know any of that, Chief?" I asked, then glanced at the window. I couldn't see anything but the ceiling now. "But I'm also probably the only mammal left alive that could get him to talk. I know how to get through to him, I've done it before."

He just stared at me, then rolled his eyes.

"I'll give you five minutes," he pulled the door open. "Don't waste them."

I nodded and stepped through, my ears twitching back when he slammed it behind me. Tony still hadn't moved, staring blankly at the wall across from him with his arms crossed. I jumped on the chair Amara had been sitting in, putting my paws on the table and leaning over it.

"You didn't even try to escape during that jailbreak," I kept my voice low, even. I wasn't sure what kind of response I'd get out of him, if I got one at all, but I knew it'd be best not to provoke him. "You mind telling me what that's all about?"

He acted like he didn't even hear me, and I started thinking even I wouldn't be able to get through to him, but then he turned toward me, his eyes clearing a bit as he focused on me. Every nerve screamed at me to hightail it when he smiled, more of a sneer filled with half-rotten, half-broken teeth. I fought that down, but couldn't suppress a shudder.

"Looks like you never grew out of your pipsqueak phase, Nicky," his voice was rough, and I wondered how long it'd been since he'd really used it. "The ZPD hiring foxes now? They must be really fucking desperate."

My eyes narrowed, my claws scraping against the table top when my paw twitched.

"I'm not a cop," I said smoothly. "They just called me in because they thought I could make you crack."

He laughed, the soft, wet wheezing sound sending another shiver through me.

"That last cop was a pretty one," he glanced at the door. "Would've loved to jump her."

I drew back a bit. What the hell was wrong with him?

"The last few years haven't been nice to you, Tony," I said. He'd cared about his appearance more than almost anything when we'd been kids. "What happened to you?"

He stiffened, his eye twitching. The rest of the glaze faded, a pissed-off glare taking its place.

" _You_ fucking happened, _fox,_ " he started to stand, the short chain hooking his cuffs to the table jerking him down. He growled. "Everything was fine until they brought _you_ home, when your _stink_ started soaking our house!"

He jumped forward, the chain yanking him back again. If the table hadn't been bolted to the floor, it probably would've toppled. I pulled away from it and crossed my arms, keeping my face blank as he finally started to unravel.

"One by one, my friends turned on me, my teachers started watching me, I started getting blamed for things I had nothing to do with!" he growled again, and I could've sworn I heard another tooth crack. "Everyone stopped trusting me, all because we had a fox in the house!"

He slammed his hooves on the table, and I was sure if he hadn't been like this, he would've dented it.

"Then they made it even worse by bringing in another one, two of you pieces of shit, ruining everything they'd worked so hard for!" tears started running down his face. "We were outsiders now, all because of you!"

He shoved his hooves in my face, or as close as he could get to it. He smiled again, and it somehow managed to look even more twisted, more insane.

"So, I started thinking, if they were so determined to ruin our lives, why shouldn't I help them, just start moving things along?"

The fur on the back of my neck stood on end, fear twisting my gut. Where the hell was he going with this? He laughed.

"You know that day you came home, found Mom covered in her own puke?" he sneered. "All it took was a little too much ipecac in her tea."

I froze. Mom had kept that around in case one of us ate something we shouldn't have, or if Big called on her to make someone talk, but she'd kept it locked up out of reach and had hidden the key. How had he-

"Oh, and that weasel that hit Finnick?" he chuckled, then shrugged. "Well, that was just a happy accident, but the skunk that hit you, on your thirteenth birthday?"

The smirk dropped, and his eyes narrowed.

"Wasn't."

I gasped, a paw flying to my chest. I'd blocked the memory out completely, telling myself I'd just been seeing things, that Tony hadn't really been laughing. That I hadn't seen the stack of cash that had dropped from his hoof into that skunk's paw. But as I'd started passing out, the only thing I'd been able to focus on had been the piece of metal stuck in my chest, shaking each time I breathed. I'd woken up to the doctor talking to my parents, telling them how my heart had been pierced, how she'd been surprised I'd made it to the hospital, let alone through the surgery. It had taken me months to recover, but instead of going with my parents when I'd been released, I'd gone straight back to Meadowbrook.

I stared up at him, grabbing the edge of the table to stay on my feet. The pain that always flared up when I got stressed was taking over, my whole body going numb as it spread. I stared at him as my vision started going, barely able to breathe enough to shove out the last question I had for him.

"W-Why?"

He just shrugged, holding up his hooves as the door slammed open. The last thing I saw was a pair of eyes just as dark as our Dad's, but full of cold, soulless hatred.

"Bye-bye, Nicky."


	63. Chapter 63

"We removed a small nodule of scar tissue from the interior of the left ventricle," a tiny voice said. "We were able to use a new, minimally-invasive surgical technique developed by the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the country…"

I cracked my eyes open when I felt a small paw squeeze mine, smiling when I saw Carrots sitting in an over-sized chair next to my bed. A pygmy jerboa in a doctor coat was pacing around by her other paw, staring at the smallest tablet I'd ever seen. His eyes narrowed when he realized I was watching him, Carrots just looking relieved.

"My esteemed colleague, Doctor Muskrat, has informed me of your little stunts, Mr. Wilde," he walked up to me and climbed on my chest. "And even if it was relatively minor, you did just have heart surgery, so I don't think I need to remind you to take it easy, for at least the next month."

I bit back an annoyed sigh, pretty sure I'd send him flying off the bed. Carrots chuckled.

"I'm going to be laid up for a while myself, Doctor Monroe," she glanced at me, smirking. "I'll make sure he doesn't get into _too_ much trouble."

Monroe just stared at her before shaking his head, sliding off my chest and heading for a toy-sized ladder hooked to the edge of the bed.

"I am going to hold you to that promise, Officer Hopps," he stopped and turned back to us. "I don't need either of you coming back here, possibly needing major surgery, because you could not control yourselves."

I put on the most innocent look I could manage, and judging by the glare he threw at me, it wasn't too convincing.

"I'd like to keep you here for observation, Mr. Wilde, for at least forty-eight hours-"

"Whoa, hold up," I pushed myself up, eyeing him. I felt better than I had in years, and I was ready to finally put all of this behind me. "I can't lounge around here that long, not with the case still-"

Carrots put a paw on my arm, shaking her head when I looked at her.

"Chief Bogo took me off the case, Nick," she said. "And since you were never official, that means you're off it, too."

She squeezed my arm, then pulled back.

"And even if I _didn't_ have a bum foot for the next two months, you really think I'd let you keep investigating after…this?"

She pointed to my chest, where I could feel a few stitches and a bandage pull at my skin and fur. I wanted to argue with her, that Monroe had said himself it was minor, and that there was still a lot we could do that didn't involve much moving around. But she had that look in her eyes again, the one that said I could on until I was blue in the face, but it'd be like talking to a brick wall. I groaned, letting myself fall back down.

"Fine. I still don't like it," I crossed my arms. "But I'll go along with it."

Monroe smiled.

"Good, I'll be back to check on you in an hour," he went to the ladder, stopping at the top. "And remember, Officer Hopps, nothing too strenuous."

I smirked at the look on Carrots' face, the way her ears went bright red as the doc slid down to the floor. It took him forever to cross the room and slip outside, and the second he did, Carrots climbed over the bed rail, wincing when her bum foot knocked against it. Before I could ask, she threw her arms around me, burying her face in my neck. She started crying, her paw catching some of my fur when she grabbed my shirt.

"Y-You dumb fox!" her voice was muffled, the scent of her tears hitting me like a truck. "D-Don't you _ever_ do that again, you scared the shit out of me!"

She broke down again, her whole body shaking when I moved to hold her, nuzzling the short fur between her ears. I rubbed her back, fighting my own tears until she calmed down, her breath hitching when she pulled away to look at me.

"Nick, why didn't you tell me you had scarring in your heart?" her paw tightened on my shirt. "Why would you keep something that big a secret?!"

My ears flicked down when she shouted, I didn't try to hide the guilt on my face.

"I didn't tell you because I couldn't, Carrots," I shook my head. "I didn't even know it was there until I heard Doc Short Stack talking about it."

She snorted a bit, then wiped her face with her sleeve.

"Hopefully this means an end to at least one kind of pain for you," she brushed her paw down my chest, her small smile fading. "And I hope you'll let me be there to at least help with the rest…"

I stared down at her.

"Why wouldn't I, Fluff?"

She played with her paws, then shook her head, hard enough that her ears flew out behind her.

"I-I'm just still…scared, I guess," she started. "Scared that, one day, you'll find a gorgeous vixen and decide you don't want me anymore, that I'm not even half the bunny you think I am."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed her paw and pulled her to me, hugging her tightly.

"That's never going to happen, Judy, I promise you that," I tilted her chin back, flashing a smile. "And if it does, I expect you to come and knock some sense into me, because I'll clearly have lost it."

She giggled, taking my paw and putting it on her cheek. I wiped a stray tear from her eye, sighing when my thumb brushed over her scars.

"And again, we're in the same boat, because part of me can't seem to stop thinking that you'll get tired of dealing with me, that you'll go find a buck that's _not_ a complete basket case."

She laughed again.

"And I can promise you that's never gonna happen, Slick," she let go of my paw, putting hers back on my chest. "Even if what we have right now fades, and I hope to every god there is that it doesn't, I'll still be there for you, whether or not you're there for me."

I traced a claw over her bottom lip, my eyes locking with hers.

"Of course I will, Carrots," I smiled again. "Always."

She sighed, grabbed my shirt and pulled herself up, stopping with her face less than an inch from mine.

"Then that's all I need, Slick…"

She kissed me, and I was probably just imagining it, but something about it felt… _different_ , right in a way nothing between us quite had before. She gasped when I nipped her tongue, moaning when I hooked a paw under her ass and pulled her in as close as I could, loving every little sound she made when my claws dragged along her side before digging into her hip. She draped her leg over mine, wrapping one arm around my neck while her other paw slid under my shirt. I groaned, grabbing her wrist when I pulled away, panting as I stared down at her. Her nose was twitching, her eyes glazed like she was in some kind of trance. It didn't clear much when she blinked, but she did stop trying to twist her paw out of my grip.

"I don't know if you've noticed, bunny, but we're sitting in a hospital bed right now," I smirked, taking her paw and running it over the bandage on my chest. "And I did just kind of come out of surgery."

That got her out of it. Her ears flashed red as she pulled herself off me, curling up at the edge of the bed.

"S-Sorry, Slick," she muttered. "I-I was just so relieved you woke up, that you're okay…"

She trailed off, her voice getting lower.

"And that you won't leave me."

I smiled, picking her up and holding her close.

"I'll never leave you, not even if you end up hating my guts and cursing me out of your life."

She laughed, then sniffled a bit, snuggling into my shoulder.

"That'll never happen, Nick," she whispered. "I promise."


	64. Chapter 64

_At least something good's come out of being stuck here…_

I folded the corner of the page and snapped the book shut, dropping it on the pile next to me. I'd spent most of the last two days reading them, learning everything I could about Zootopian law and how the city's government worked, at least on the legal side of things. I'd need it if I planned on getting anywhere as a PI, that, and I didn't really have much else to do.

Carrots had brought her whole stash from her apartment, saying I might as well study up since my application had been fast tracked, that I'd still have to take a few tests to prove I knew the law. Of course, that meant they were kinda small for me, but since she'd highlighted things and scribbled notes in the margins, I at least had a better idea of what was important, even if it did take a while to figure out what exactly she'd written.

 _Guess good pawwriting's not on the list of requirements…_

I laid back with my paws behind my head, glancing at the pile before staring at the ceiling. Carrots hadn't come around since dropping off the books, she hadn't even answered any of my texts.

 _She must be pretty busy, whatever she's doing._

I thought back to the night we met, when I'd started going from just another band leader to probably one of the most important mammals in the city. Preds had started going savage and disappearing because someone had a grudge against me, and I'd not only managed to find them all, but figure out how they'd lost their minds in the first place. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to do any of that if I hadn't had Carrots, or Paul and Mercy. They'd all been there whenever I'd lost my head, dragged me back when I'd thought about giving up. They'd all also gotten hurt because of me, and I just hoped they'd be able to forgive me, at least some day. Now that I thought about it, I think the only ones I knew that hadn't been affected somehow had been Leo and Carlos.

Leo was still keeping watch over my place, making sure none of the mammals who'd wrecked my ride, or anyone else, got close enough to make a mess of it. And I hadn't seen Carlos since I'd woken up after the concert. That was just how that guy operated, there for you one minute and completely ghosting out of your life the next. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen him before then.

I sat up when someone knocked, my ears perking up when Clawhauser slipped in. He looked nervous, glancing around like he expected someone to ambush him.

"Hey, Spots," I kept my voice low, not wanting to spook him. It took him a few minutes to notice me, his tail flicking around behind him. "What's going on?"

He whined, messing with his paws as he walked to my bed, the chair groaning when he plopped down in it.

"J-Judy made me swear I wouldn't say anything, b-but it just feels wrong to keep this from you," he gulped. "N-Nick…y-your brother's…"

He whined again, pressing his paws to his fat cheeks and shaking his head. I reached out and took his shoulder, slowly tightening my grip until he looked at me.

"Calm down, Spots," I smiled a bit, or tried to. "What about Tony?"

He stared at me, his eyes wide, then gulped again.

"T-Tony, he's gone," he bit his lip. "He disappeared just after you talked to him."

I blinked, then shook my head.

"Wait, what?"

"Tony disappeared from his holding cell," he spelled it out. "Bogo threw him in there after the ambulance picked you up, then when he and Amara went to talk to him later, he was gone."

I fell back, barely noticing when I hit my head on the wall. There were cameras all over Precinct One, hundreds of cops coming and going, how could they have missed him? I swallowed, my mouth dry.

"D-Do you have any idea where he went, or even how he did it?"

He shook his head again.

"All we know is at least one other mammal must've helped him out, there was a huge power surge just after you left," he bit his lip. "A-All the cameras went completely off-line, and I don't know how, but he managed to get out without anyone seeing him!"

I couldn't do much more than sit there as I tried to process it all. First, Tony hadn't even tried to escape during a massive jailbreak, then he'd admitted to poisoning our mom and paying someone to try and kill me. And now someone had helped him get out of Precinct One completely undetected. What the hell was going on here? What was this mammal's endgame?

"And there's something else," Spots' nervous voice pulled me back. "J-Judy wanted me to tell you, she's not avoiding you because she's mad or anything, she just needs time to think. A lot's happened for you two recently, you know?"

I nodded. There'd been something on the news yesterday about a cop's home being broken into. Nothing had been taken, but they'd vandalized the place: all kinds of slurs spray-painted on the walls, clothes torn up, pictures smashed. Besides the job, there hadn't been any details about who'd been targeted, but it didn't really take long to figure it out. I shoved out a breath, running a paw through my hair.

"She's the last mammal to deserve anything like this," I glanced at the pile of books, seeing they'd toppled over. As much as it hurt to even think about, I knew there was only one way to make life easy for her again. "M-Maybe I should just break it off with her…"

He gasped, but it was a different voice that answered, slightly higher and completely pissed.

"Don't you dare even think about it, Wilde!"

We turned to see Carrots hobble in on her crutches, Amara waving at us before shutting the door. I drew back as the bunny got closer, Spots' ears dropping when he looked down at her.

"Ben, help me up, would you?"

He apparently knew that tone as well as I did, because he didn't waste any time in scooping her up and setting her on the bed. She smiled at him, but it didn't do much to calm him down, and when she turned to me, it dropped away completely. I swallowed.

"L-Look, Judy, I-"

"Save it, Nick," she held up a paw, then crawled toward me, planting herself in my lap and wrapping an arm around me. "I don't care what you have to say, I'm not going to let you end this just because some mammals don't like what we have."

I growled a bit, grabbing the paw she'd pressed to my chest.

"It's not that mammals disagree with this," I said quietly, my voice tight. "It's _how_ they've disagreed with it. The day we came back, my car was wrecked in the hospital parking lot, then yesterday someone broke into your apartment and destroyed almost everything you own."

I hugged her, tightly.

"And the mammals responsible didn't even try to hide, I don't even want to think what they might try in the future…"

She nuzzled my neck, then pushed away; none of the anger had left her eyes.

"Nick, even if I didn't feel like this about you, if phasing you out the last couple days hadn't physically hurt me, there's no way I'd let you break it off, and you know why?" she didn't give me enough time to respond, not that I would have, anyway. "Because us ending what we have would mean giving those mammals exactly what they want, and you should know by now that I will never give in to hatred, no matter who it's coming from!"

I growled again, louder this time.

"How do you know we even really have anything, Carrots?" I spat the words. "We've never even said what we are!"

She glared at me, then rolled her eyes, shoving out a sigh.

"That won't work on me twice, Slick, not when I understand why you're doing it," she wrapped her other arm around me, burying her face in my chest. "What happened to the fox who never let anyone see that they got to him? That after what he'd been through, he'd never let fear rule his life again?"

I groaned, not even bothering to stammer out an excuse. She had me right where she wanted me.

"Because I've heard what gets thrown at you just for being a bunny and a cop," I looked away. "And you've heard what gets thrown at me just for being a fox, a mammal even the worst preds do their best to avoid."

I looked back to her, letting every ounce of pain and fear fill my eyes.

"You already go through way too much, just because you were brave enough to go after your dream, I don't want you getting any more shit thrown your way just because you're with me," I shook my head. "You were mauled as a kit by a fox, then shot at just because you admitted to being friends with one."

I gulped.

"And now almost everything you own's been destroyed," I brought it up again. "Because you admitted to being more with one. I don't want you getting hurt, or even worse, just because you're in love with me."

She grabbed my snout when I tried turning away again, slowly shaking her head with an indulgent look on her face.

"You just said the only thing that matters, Nick," she pulled my face down, laying her forehead on mine. "I'm in love with you, and nothing could make me leave you, nothing _._ "

She kissed me before I could say anything, and I didn't even care that Spots was squealing, and probably taking video, the whole time.

"I just wish I could finally get my head out of my ass and realize that," I muttered when she pulled away. She giggled, nestling under my chin.

"Take as long as you need to, Nick," she nuzzled me again. "I'll always be here to remind you, I promise."


	65. Chapter 65

_"_ _Oh my god, Nicky, what happened to you?!"_

 _Fru-Fru wouldn't quit staring at me. Or shouting at me. I growled, not caring when I ripped the towel twisted in my paws. It hadn't been the shittiest night of my life, but it had still sucked a whole lot of ass. I dropped on the bed, leaned over and spit blood into the trash can._

 _"_ _I found out my girlfriend's a lying slut," I couldn't keep the growl from my voice. I reached up and brushed the scars on my neck. It'd been six years since those damn collars were outlawed, but I still expected a shock whenever I got pissed. Now that I thought about it, that collar was probably the only reason some mammals I knew were still alive. Getting shocked until I blacked out was a great way for them to keep their guts where they belonged. Fru walked over and sat on my paw, brushing my fur like she always did when she wanted to calm me down._

 _"_ _I know I'm not great at keeping secrets," she started. Wasn't that the truth? "But you know I'll always be here for you, our whole family will always have your back."_

 _I smiled down at her, or at least tried to._

 _"_ _Thanks, Fru," I sighed, rubbing the towel over my head. "But you guys don't need to waste your time getting involved in this, I already took care of it."_

 _She shook her head, pulled out her phone and shot out a text._

 _"_ _It's never a waste of time where you're concerned," she smiled. "Like I said, you're family, and you've already done so much to help us."_

 _I couldn't help but laugh. Their idea of 'helping the family' pretty much added up to kicking the ass of any rival street surfers sent our way, or roughing up the 'tough guys' that wouldn't pay back their loans. I also helped with the books once in a while, but that was more of a 'summer job' than anything else; I was good with math as long as the alphabet wasn't involved. She brushed my paw again, tugging at the piece of old t-shirt I'd tied around it._

 _"_ _I asked for the doctor just now," she said. "We should get these taken care of the right way."_

 _She looked up at me, and I didn't try to hide. As bad as I looked: the black eyes, the broken nose, a busted lip that had me drooling blood, I knew the other guys were even worse. I'd made sure of it._

 _"_ _It's not like you to get in fights for no reason, Nicky," she was still going on. "What exactly happened with-Eeek!"_

 _I slashed a paw in her face._

 _"_ Don't _even say her_ fucking _name," I snapped at her, my teeth bared. "Not only has that bitch been screwing three guys behind my back, I find out tonight she's been_ stealing _from me, from the_ band _!"_

 _Her mouth dropped open._

 _"_ _W-What? Nicky, I know she can be a little high maintenance, but do you really think she'd-"_

 _"_ I fucking saw her do it _!" I grabbed the trash can and spit again. I'd almost completely lost it tonight, the only thing keeping me back the smug look on that bitch's face. Mauling the piles of shit she'd been with had done enough to prove her right, so I'd forced myself to calm down enough to spit out the tail I'd been about to rip off. I hadn't even bothered to look at her again when I'd grabbed their backpacks and taken off, using every back alley I knew to get back to the Big mansion, where Fru had already been waiting for me._

 _I pulled myself out of it when I felt her climb on my shoulder, my ears heating up when she hugged my cheek._

 _"_ _The doctor's here, Nicky," she nuzzled me. "I'll be right outside if you need me."_

 _She dropped to my lap and went to the ladder hooked to my bed, smiling at me before climbing down and scurrying past the gnu in a lab coat standing in the doorway. Doctor Augustine, one of the only prey animals Big and his family trusted._

 _"_ _Well, Nicky," he shut the door behind him. "Looks like you got yourself in trouble again…"_

I couldn't hold back a growl, my claws digging into the seat as my fists clenched. That had been almost ten years ago, and just the thought of that bitch still made me ready to kill. Carrots and I had been sitting in the waiting room at All Saints so long I'd completely zoned out; I forced myself to chill when I caught Astelle, and about half the other mammals there, glaring at me. I flashed a weak smile and sank into my seat, wrapping my tail around me to keep it from thumping against the seat. I glanced up when a small gray paw touched my arm, my ears flicking down when I saw the worry in Carrots' big purple eyes. Her ankle had healed to the point where she could go without the crutches, as long as she didn't overdo it. I took her paw and kissed it, ignoring the sneers and glowers sent our way. I thanked god that was all we'd been getting lately.

"They should be waking up any minute now," she whispered. "Right?"

I could only shrug. The savage attacks had just kind of…stopped after Rocco, Ed and Paul had been hit, and it had already been about two months since then. I glanced over at Astelle, Yumiko curled up and asleep in her lap. It was the first time I'd been near either of them since Zariah had accidentally taken that drug. I'd never figured out if she actually liked me or not, but after all this, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up hating me until the day she died, I know I would.

"Mrs. Savanna?"

We all turned to a white tigress in pink scrubs, her gray eyes narrowing at me and Carrots before she focused on Astelle.

"Your daughter, husband and brother-in-law are awake and asking for you," she glared at me and Carrots again before turning her back on us, motioning for Astelle to follow her. She didn't even glance at us before getting up, shifting Yumiko to her shoulder before catching up to the tigress. Carrots' paw tightened on mine.

"W-What about Paul?" her voice cracked a bit. "And Trevor and Mercy?"

The tigress didn't even bother to answer, letting the door next to the reception desk shut behind her.

* * *

 _'_ _any word yet?'_

I'd been staring at the text since I got it. It had already been two hours since that tigress had led Astelle back.

 _'_ _Rocco Ed and Zariah are back but nothing about Paul Mercy or Trevor'_

I sat back after I'd sent it off, running a paw along Carrots' ear. She'd fallen asleep against my shoulder, eventually slumping down to my lap. Most of the waiting room had emptied out by now, the other victims leaving with their families after talking to one of the cops that had filed back there when they'd first announced the antidote was ready.

I'd made the mistake of telling Leo the staff seemed to be purposefully ignoring us, and he'd been sending me the same question every five minutes since. I put my phone on silent and dropped it in my vest pocket, scratching behind Carrots' ear as she started waking up. She leaned back into my paw, stretching before pushing herself up. Her ears dropped to her back when she noticed how empty the room was.

"What's going on?" she yawned. "H-Have they not woken up yet?"

I shrugged, taking her paw and pulling her back in my lap.

"I'm starting to think they forgot we're even here," I nuzzled the spot between her ears. "We've been sitting here for hours now."

She groaned, perking up when the door by the desk opened again. That tigress nurse came out, glancing around the room before focusing on us, still looking like she wanted to throw us in the trash.

"Looks like we've got a whole group of degenerates," she looked over her shoulder. "Hey, you two, get your paws off each other so you can finally leave and quit making us all sick!"

"Yeah, yeah, we heard you the first time," his voice was rougher than I'd ever heard it. "If you'd let us go when you were supposed to, we'd already be long out of your fur, Natasha!"

The tigress groaned in disgust before storming off, letting the door drop shut behind her. It opened less than a second later, Carrots shoving off me and running before they'd even stepped into the room.

"Mercy! Paul!" she jumped, Mercy catching her and laughing as she hugged her. "I'm so glad you're both okay!"

"Of course we are," Paul chuckled when Carrots hopped to him, tears in his eyes as he almost crushed the little bunny. "Thanks to you guys!"

I shook my head, sliding off the seat and shoving my paws in my pockets.

"Was starting to think I was invisible or something," I glanced at the door Natasha had slipped through. "She didn't even seem to know we were here!"

"She's just got a pole up her butt," Mercy swept me up, almost making me go deaf she was squealing so loud. "Thank you, Nick, for absolutely everything!"

I gasped when she put me down, grabbing the ribs I was sure she'd smashed.

"Almost forgot you could do that," I panted, smiling when Paul came over, still holding Carrots, their excited smiles both completely gone.

"I heard a few of the nurses talking after I woke up," his ears went flat. "I'm sorry you guys had to go through all that."

I shrugged, taking Carrots' paw when he put her down next to me.

"We found out who was making the drug and how, _and_ we managed to find what they needed to finish the cure," I looked over at Carrots, tugged her closer, and kissed her. I couldn't help but smile at her dazed expression when I pulled away. "So I'd say it was all worth it."

I turned back to see them both staring at us, Mercy in complete disbelief.

"Okay, it looks like I missed a lot while I was under that stuff, so I need details!"

Carrots giggled.

"Don't worry, you'll get them," she looked over at me, a bit of pain in her eyes as she leaned against my side. "But right now, I could really use a nap."

I laughed.

"You were just asleep for an hour, Fluff," I stroked her paw with my thumb. "How can you still be tired?"

She wrapped her arms around mine, looking up at me with that 'kicked baby' expression.

"It wasn't long enough," her lip quivered a bit, her eyes getting even wider. "Please, Nick?"

I could only face it for a few seconds before I had to look away.

"Fine, but I'll be blinding myself later just so you can't use that look on me again," I turned back to her. "Are you trying to kill me, Fluff?"

Smirking, she grabbed my shirt, pulled me down, and kissed me. Hard.

"Maybe I am, Slick," she bit my bottom lip. "Maybe I am."


	66. Chapter 66

"So, this has been going on since the night I went…went savage?"

Mercy had been grilling Carrots for hours, and as excited as she sounded, I knew there was another reason for it. The anti-pred protests had gotten worse after Carrots and I had gone public, and a couple pigs that worked at All Saints had sabotaged half the vials of the antidote. It would only take about three days to get the next batch ready, but that meant three more days the rest of the families had to worry, were stuck watching the friends, kids and spouses that had completely lost their minds.

"Dude, watch it!"

Paul barely managed to catch the pot before it fell, growling as he burned his paws on it. He glared at me, slamming it back on the stove before going to the sink and throwing the faucet on cold.

"I know you're still worried about Trevor, I am, too," he held his paws under the stream. "But I just spent two and a half months locked in that hospital, I don't want to go back tonight because you dumped boiling water on my feet or something!"

I sighed, rubbing a paw over my eyes. That was already the third time my spacing out had almost ruined everything.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," I tugged the fur on the back of my neck. "I just can't stop thinking about it, and everything else that happened after we got back…"

"Back?" he shut the water off and patted his paws dry on the towel slung over his shoulder. "Back from where?"

I shook my head.

"Carrots and I had to go to Bunnyburrow, remember? That's where Baby Blues and those dart things were coming from," I swallowed, knowing I shouldn't be saying any of this. "One of her uncles had a big grudge against preds and was completely insane. He suckered a couple of his sons into helping him, and he ended up shooting one of them before turning the gun on himself."

I swallowed again, then shuddered.

"T-The same gun he tried to kill me with, after he stole it from me," I glanced up to see him gaping at me; it probably would've been funny if this were anything else. I shoved out a breath and told him the whole story, starting with the morning after Mercy had gone savage.

"Bogo gave us three days to find the drug's source, and it ended up being these crazy flowers Tony and his friends would force me to eat when we were kids," I ran a paw through my hair, shoving back the memory. "Then when her uncle found out she was in love with me, he hit her with one of her own tranqs and tried to kill me with my own gun.

"My ISS ended up taking over," I went on. "And I ran off thinking I'd killed him. Carrots came looking for me before the tranq even wore off all the way, and she ended up falling down an embankment. That's where I ended up finding the Night Howler garden."

I glossed over the next part, it was still a bit too fresh to talk about.

"The night we got back to the city, there was a jail break in the Marshlands, the same place Tony's been locked up," I put a paw on my chest, hoping my voice wouldn't crack. "He ended up getting brought in, and I managed to convince the Chief to let me talk to him, which I know was a stupid idea, you don't have to say anything."

Paul's ears went red as he shut his mouth. I chuckled, but it didn't last long. I gulped.

"T-Tony ended up admitting to trying to kill our mom with ipicac, and to setting up that car that hit me when I was thirteen."

He nodded.

"I remember that, you were out cold for days," he looked at me. "I think that's also about the time that thing with your chest started…"

"Yeah, I ended up having a huge spell and blacking out. When I woke up, I found out it was because there'd been a blob of scarring in my heart."

He sucked in a breath, coughing when he choked on it.

"A-Are you serious? Why didn't they figure that out earlier?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know, but I should be fine now that it's gone," I shut off the oven and took the pan out, smirking when I saw the look on his face.

"Wow, smells like you've really outdone yourself this time, what'd you make?"

I set it on the stove, hissing when my arm hit the edge.

"Shit, that hurts," I went to the sink and splashed some water on it. "And nothing fancy, just eggplant gratin, and crawfish if you and Mercy want it."

He lit up like a kit at Christmas.

"This has to be the first time I've seen you even touch meat, let alone cook it," he frowned. "It…doesn't have anything to do with you feeling guilty, does it?"

I froze, then decided there wouldn't be a point in lying.

"Some of it, yeah," I grabbed the tray and hit the dining room. "But the rest is I'm just glad you guys are safe."

"Most of us, anyway," he shut off the stove and followed me. "How's it going with your PI badge?"

I set the pan on the table, then smiled.

"The Chief fast tracked my application, so now all I have to do is take some test to prove I know the law," I scratched my cheek. "I think he also said something about hitting up a shooting range to make sure I'm not a complete spaz with a gun."

He laughed.

"If those shots you pulled earlier are anything to go by, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

I chuckled.

"All I did was take Carrots down a notch, or two…"

She'd been going on about how she'd been the best shot in her class at the academy, how her coworkers were always challenging her to see who'd buy the first round of drinks or whatever. Mercy had eventually cut in saying I was the best shot she'd ever seen, that no one had ever come close to beating me. And the more I'd said it wasn't a big deal, that it didn't matter who the best shot was, the more they'd both egged me on. The last straw had been when Carrots had said I was only backing out because I was scared, that I didn't want to face the fact I'd lose to a cute little bunny. And since I've got an ego the size of Mars, I hadn't been able to let that slide.

We'd ended up standing a few hundred feet from the crabapple tree behind my place, Carrots spinning her gun on her finger as she spelled out a wager: I'd either be stuck sleeping on the couch or forced to wear an 'I lost to a bunny' shirt for the next month, whichever she felt like putting me through when it was over. I'd just stepped back and let her go first, wishing her all the luck in the world. She'd smirked at me, barely aiming before firing off four shots, each one going clean through an apple. I'd had to admit, she was pretty good, but not quite good enough.

I hadn't really bothered to aim, either, my first two shots cutting stems, the next two dead center through the apples themselves as they fell. And just to make things worse, I'd turned my back and fired over my shoulder, taking out one of her apples without even looking. She'd just stood there gawking, her gun falling in the grass as her arms dropped to her sides. I'd knelt down and grabbed her chin, gently closing her mouth before tapping her nose.

 _"_ _I used to be in the mob, Fluff, remember? Playing with guns was a way of life."_

She hadn't said anything, her ears popping up when I'd kissed her before getting back to my feet. Then she'd swiped up her gun and hightailed it back inside.

"But why don't you just join the academy?" Paul brought me out of it. "You wouldn't have any problem staying at the top of the class."

I shrugged.

"Buffalo Butt said the same thing, but we all know how much I hate playing by the rules," we both laughed. "Besides, I don't think the world's ready for the first fox cop."

"Why not?" Mercy and Carrots slipped through the door. I shook my head.

"There's way more than enough going on right now," I was getting sick of repeating myself. "The last thing this city needs is the uproar that would come with a fox joining the force."

I glanced at Carrots, then smirked.

"And I wouldn't want to overshadow little miss crack-shot over here, would I?"

She went stiff, her ears going red as she glared at me.

"You just got lucky, fox," she stormed over and hopped in her seat. "I'll kick your tail next time, I promise!"

I laughed, flicking hers before going to sit across from her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Fluff."

She just pouted, sticking her tongue out at me. I shook my head.

"Might want to be careful what you do, Fluff," I leaned over the table, smirking. "You never know how I'll respond."

Her eyes went wide, her tongue darting back in her mouth as she sucked in a breath. Then she slunk down in her seat, her ears flat against her back as she glared up at me with a red face.

"Dumb fox…"

I chuckled, sitting back down and reaching for the eggplant gratin.

"Shy bunny."


	67. Chapter 67

"No, Maricia, I am _not_ sending you nude pics of my boyfriend," Carrots growled. "No, you can't have any either, Marcus!"

She slapped a paw over her eyes, her ears flat against her back. When she pulled her paw back, her eyes were slits.

"I don't care how hot either of you think he is, you're not getting them!"

She ended the call and dropped her phone, then rolled over and threw her face into a pillow.

"Ugh, why did I have to take you home…"

I chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing my towel over my head. I'd gotten out of the shower just in time to hear the end of it.

"Well, you didn't _have_ to," I ran a paw down her back. "But you probably wouldn't have solved the case without me, Fluff."

She groaned, dragging herself into my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in my chest.

"They're not even the only ones who've called me," she muttered, then rubbed her chin over my chest, staring up at me. "I think a third of my family have gotten the hots for you, Slick!"

I laughed, dropping the towel next to me and hugging her.

"Can't say I'm surprised, I _am_ irresistible!"

She groaned again, knocking her forehead against my shoulder.

"Ow!" I smirked down at her. "You really are hard-headed, Fluff!"

She rolled her eyes, waving a paw in my face.

"Can it for once, will you, Wilde? I've already had a long day…" she tried to burrow into my chest again. "Ngh, sometimes I wish you _weren't_ so good-looking…"

I chuckled, holding her more tightly.

"Not really much I can do about that, Fluff, I was born like this, after all."

"Hmm," she ran a paw through my fur, then looked back up at me. "I've actually been wondering what your birth parents looked like. Do you have a picture of them?"

"Uh…" I glanced around, I couldn't remember the last time I'd even thought about it. "I think I still have the one Big gave me, somewhere…"

I put her down and started searching, finding a hundred other things I'd forgotten about, but it took a few minutes to find the picture. I'd framed it, but it had somehow ended up buried in the back of my closet. I wiped off the dust on my shorts, staring at it when I brought it back up. I ran a paw down the glass, not sure why I was tearing up at the sight of mammals I'd never even met, standing on some crowded beach in the 80s.

Mr. Big had always said I looked like my dad, except for the dark tip of my tail and the fact he had some shade of brown eyes like pretty much every other fox in the world. I got those things from my mom, and looking at her now, I was starting to think I'd gotten some other stuff from her, too. My dad wasn't exactly scrawny, but he looked it standing next to her, especially since, if the date on this thing was right, it'd been taken just a few days before I was born. Before cash changing paws at the worst hospital in the city, if not the whole state, had helped lead to both of us losing her.

I growled, my claws digging in as my fist clenched at my side. It had taken almost that entire trip to drag the into out of my grandpa, and once I'd learned it, I hadn't been able to look my parents in the eye. Not without seething as I'd thought about what they'd done, just to get them one step closer to adopting their fucking precious fox kit. As far as I knew, they hadn't had anything to do with my dad's death, but it hadn't exactly hurt their cause. I winced at a small screech, looking down to see a scratch mark on the front of the picture; I could hear the frame cracking as my paw kept tightening on it. I shoved out a breath and forced down the memory; the last thing any of us needed right now was me going into one of my half-crazed rages.

 _They couldn't even live long enough for me to rip their heads off for that,_ I growled again, freezing when I felt a small, soft paw on my arm. I looked down, seeing Carrots staring up at me with her ears flat, tears in her wide, worried purple eyes.

"N-Nick…" her voice was low, and it shuddered a bit. I sighed, sitting on the floor and dragging her into my lap, nuzzling every part of her I could reach.

"I-It's fine, Carrots," I muttered, her head tilted as I dragged my nose along her chin. "It happened over thirty years ago, there's nothing I can do about it now."

"What happened…" she turned, gasping when she saw the picture. "Oh, Nick…"

I looked, my eyes widening when I realized I'd broken the back of the frame, my claws tearing through the edge of the picture. She grabbed my wrist before I could jerk back, taking the frame off with one paw and holding mine to her chest with the other. I don't know how long we sat there, completely silent while we stared at it, before she sighed, tilting her head up and kissing the end of my snout.

"They look like nice mammals, and I'm sure they'd be proud of who you've become," she snuggled against me, and I held her more tightly. A few more minutes went by before she talked again. "Your mom's beautiful, by the way, and your dad's pretty handsome, too. I can see where you get it from."

I chuckled a bit, part of me hating the tears I still felt soaking my fur. How could I be this sad about it? I'd never even gotten a chance to know them!

"You grew up hearing stories about them, didn't you?"

I blinked, staring at the back of her head. She ran a paw over the glass, pausing by the scratch I'd put in it, then twisted until she sat sideways.

"It's easier to see you this way," she shrugged, hugging the picture to her chest. "And you did get to know them, in a way. You grew up hearing stories about them, and from what I've learned about you in the last few months, you've never given yourself enough time to be affected by it."

She put a paw on my chest, right over where my heart was pounding. How did she always seem to know what I was thinking? She giggled.

"It's just a talent I have, Slick," she touched my cheek. "And you're not exactly wearing your usual mask right now. Everything that's gone through your head since I came in has been written clear across your face."

She turned back to the picture, and the smile faded.

"I wish you could've met them, could've grown up with them…"

I sighed, leaned down and kissed between her ears.

"I wish they could've met you, too, sweetheart," I put a paw on her cheek. "I'm sure they would've loved you."

She smiled again, turning her head and nuzzling into my paw.

"Do you think we could visit them some time?"

I froze again, then looked away. I didn't even know where they were buried.

"I-I don't think I'm ready for that yet, Fluff," I swallowed. "M-Maybe someday, though."

"Hmm," she pulled my paw to her chest, laying her head against my shoulder. After a while, I took the frame from her, stood up and set it back on the shelf.

"They're going to give the Night Howler antidote to the rest of the victims tomorrow," I walked to the bed, still holding her close to me. "You want to come with us to pick up Trevor?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to see him again. Wait, I didn't tell you?" she looked up at my blank face, her own a bit guilty. "Trevor was in some of my classes at college, we were both getting our bachelor's in criminal justice."

She shrugged.

"We didn't really talk much, so we lost touch after we graduated."

I sat down on the edge, keeping her in my lap.

"Huh, he never even said he was getting a criminal justice degree, he just said he was taking some classes," I scratched my cheek. "But considering my background, I'm not surprised he didn't bring it up."

She giggled again.

"Why don't you tell him you're getting your PI shield? Maybe he could even be your partner, if he doesn't decide to join the academy when the next class starts up."

I chuckled.

"I think I overheard Mercy trying to convince Paul to join with her," I smirked at her. "You're having quite the effect on us, Carrots."

She beamed at me.

"Just doing what I'm told I do best, Slick."

I looked at her.

"Oh, really? And what's that?"

Still beaming, she took my face in her paws, pulled me down, and kissed me.

"Inspiring everyone around me to make the world a better place," she kissed my nose. "And I can't think of a better group of mammals for the job."

My whole face warmed up at that. I took her paws and held them in mine, her eyes starting to sparkle when I gazed in them.

"You're gonna do a lot of amazing things besides this, Judy, and I can promise all of us will be right here to back you up."

I pulled her close again, and kissed her. She moaned into it, panting a bit when I pulled away.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way."


	68. Chapter 68

"You know, I think that's the first time you've called me your boyfriend."

I took half a second to glance at Carrots, curled up in the passenger seat and staring blankly out the window. She'd been like that since last night, when I'd shown her that picture of my birth parents. She drummed her fingers on the door handle, the tip of one ear flicking up before falling back down. Besides that, she didn't move until I'd pulled into the parking lot at All Saints, only about half as full as it'd been last time they'd given the antidote to the victims.

"At least we know it works now," she muttered, letting her arms flop to her sides. I shut off the car, a generic silver one I'd bought used and kept in the garage, just in case my main ride ended up wrecked. My low-rider had been released and repaired a couple weeks ago, but I figured it'd be a better idea to use this one until everything finally blew over. I pulled off my shades, rubbing a paw over my eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I know what's eating you, Fluff," I hooked them in my collar and looked at her. "You're still thinking about everything I told you last night."

She didn't say anything to that, she didn't have to. I sighed, unbuckling our seat belts before dragging her into my lap.

"Part of me wishes I hadn't told you any of that, I'm just so sick of seeing you in pain because I keep unloading my baggage on you," I took her paw and kissed it. "But you have to know I've never opened up to another mammal like this, it's just become second nature to trust you, Carrots."

She barely glanced at me, but it was hard to miss the small smile that flicked across her lips. She took my paw and held it to her chest, just like last night.

"I know, Nick, and you have no idea how much that means to me," she looked down again, running her fingers through the darker fur on my paw. "But part of me just can't process what you've been through, what so many mammals go through every day just because they weren't born a moose or an alpaca."

She looked back up at me.

"But predators make up most of the ZPD, the fire department, and so many prey still treat you like you're lower than trash. It cheeses me off to no end, and I can't do anything about it because I'm just one little bunny," she nuzzled the back of my paw, then licked it a bit. "Yes, I've changed and opened a few minds in the past, and yes I've proven stereotypes are the last thing mammals should use to define others, but it feels like no matter what I do, it's not enough. It's not enough and it never will be!"

She threw her face in my chest, but surprisingly, didn't start crying. She just sat there, holding my paw in one of hers and grabbing my shirt with the other, her fingers twitching like she was fighting something.

"Carrots?" I ran a claw down her ear, getting more worried when she didn't even flinch. "Judy?"

That snapped her out of it, sort of. She looked up at me, blinking out the glaze that had come over her eyes, then shook her head.

"Sorry, Nick," she muttered. "I-I'm just trying to process all this, it's a lot to take in."

I chuckled a bit.

"I get that, believe me," I tilted her chin back, my eyes locking on hers. "But you do know that, as much as I'll tell you about my past, there's just as much I'm never going to tell you, for your safety and mine."

I took the paw still pressed to my chest.

"There are a lot of secrets I swore I'd take to the grave," I went on. "And just like you, I'm not one to go back on my word easily. I need you to understand that."

I held her gaze, her eyes wavering just slightly, barely flicking away before focusing back on me. It wasn't much, most mammals wouldn't have even noticed it, but it was enough for me. My eyes narrowed.

"I'm serious, Judy," I put the slightest growl in my voice. "I know how you think, and trying to uncover those secrets _will_ end with a lot of mammals you care about paying the price."

My paw tightened on hers.

"You have to _swear_ to me you won't pry, or I won't be able to stop what happens. Do you understand?" I raised my voice a bit when her eyes started glazing again. "I said, do you understand?"

She blinked, then swallowed. When she looked in my eyes again, it was all the assurance I needed.

"Yes, Nick, I swear I'll keep my nose out of it, you have my word."

I sighed, not realizing until then how tense I'd gotten. I fell back against the seat, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close.

"Thank you, Carrots," I ran a paw down her ears, still flat against her back. "I'm sorry if I scared you, I just need you to realize how serious this is."

She nodded.

"I know, Nick, and you didn't scare me," she smiled at me. "You never did."

She tensed a bit when her phone went off, groaning when she saw the texts.

"Oh, those two…" she put it on silent and threw it on her seat. I laughed.

"Let me guess, Maricia and Marcus again?"

"Yep," she hit her forehead against my shoulder. "Apparently, they saw you coming out of the showers while we were at the farm, and they've both been begging me for pictures ever since, specifically nudes."

Her ears went pink as she said it. I laughed again.

"I could just send them some, you know, I'm not shy," I snickered when she glared at me.

"You do that, and I'm never sleeping with you again," she pulled my shirt, catching my fur again. "It's one thing to strut around in your underwear for a photoshoot or some advertisement, but you are _not_ sending naked pictures to my family, you got that, fox?"

She ran a paw over me, then grabbed me, tightly.

" _This_ is for my eyes only now, get it?"

She tightened her grip until I groaned, shoving her paw away.

"Yes!" I could not think when she did that. "Yes, okay, got it!"

She smiled, looking more smug than a bunny should be able to.

"Good," she tugged my shirt again, her paw sliding up my chest as she pushed herself up with her legs. "Now come here…"

I tried to resist, my paws twitching when she moaned, whimpering when she slowly licked my lips.

"You…" I groaned when she took my paw, my claws trailing through the fur on the tip of her tail before she pulled it down to her ass. "You do _not_ play fair…"

She giggled, and nothing had ever sounded so fucking hot, at least until she spoke.

"That's the idea, Slick…"

That was when I lost it. I grabbed her, kissing her like I'd just seen my life flash in front of my eyes. Her claws dug into my neck when mine traced under her shirt, her next moan cutting off when someone knocked on the window.

"Time to hit the pause button on that, you two," Mercy leaned down, laughing. "Trevor's gonna be waking up soon!"

"Oh, right!" Carrots' ears went bright red, mine not much lighter. "W-We'll be there in a sec!"

Mercy laughed again, waving as she and Paul walked past us, and that was when I saw it. A white and silver car, a black panther holding the door as a pair of polar bears stepped out, one holding up his paws with two tiny mammals standing on them.

"Were Mr. Big and Fru-Fru here a few days ago?" Carrots stood up on the seat and leaned against the steering wheel, her tail twitching less than an inch from my face. "Wonder what they're doing here no-yeek!"

She squeaked when I nipped it, jumping to the other seat and facing me, paws on her ass as she glared at me, her face and ears completely red.

"You little pervert!"

I laughed out loud.

"You grab my junk and try to seduce me in a car, _again,_ and suddenly _I'm_ the pervert?" I laughed again. "I don't think so, Fluff!"

Her eyes went wide, ears going flat against her head. She brought her arms in front of her, rubbing one as she glared at the seat.

"Uh…well, that's…um…"

I chuckled, leaning over the console and tapping her nose with mine.

"I'm just messing with you, Carrots," I licked her nose and pulled back. "But you have to admit it's kinda weird to say."

She sulked for a few seconds, then sighed, her blush fading as she fixed her shirt and climbed back in my lap.

"I know, I'm just not used to mammals playing with my tail," she perked up, her blush coming back a bit. "And that fight with Maricia and Marcus wasn't really the first time I called you my boyfriend…"

I looked at her. Why was she acting she nervous about it? She bit her lip.

"I actually started doing it a couple months after we met, when bucks would come up and ask me out. Some of them would get…less than friendly when I said no…" she swallowed. "I never said you were a fox, but I was sure they could smell you on me, anyway. I told them you were the best fighter I knew, and that you wouldn't be happy about other guys trying to hit on me."

She pulled back, curling up a bit.

"I-I'm sorry, Nick, I shouldn't have used you to threaten anyone like that, but some of those bucks really scared me and…"

She trailed off when I put a paw on her head, stroking her ears.

"I'm not mad at you, Fluff, you were just trying to protect yourself," I kissed her forehead. "Just wish you'd told me how long you'd thought about me like that."

She giggled, still sounding nervous.

"I just didn't want you to think I was another psycho fan, you already deal with enough of those," she brought an ear over her shoulder and messed with it. "And I was afraid that, if I did say it, I'd jinx it."

She looked up at me.

"You're sure you're not upset?"

I shook my head.

"I just said I wasn't, didn't I?" I smirked, then leaned in and kissed her. "Why don't we catch up to the others? Trevor should be awake by now."

She smiled.

"That sounds good, it'd be great to see him again," she suddenly grabbed my shirt. "But I'm afraid we still have one thing to finish…"


	69. Chapter 69

I hung back as everyone else crowded Trevor, not sure how he'd react to seeing me. It didn't seem to matter how many times I heard I had nothing to do with it, or who said it to me, I still couldn't stop feeling guilty about it.

 _Just wish we could figure out who the hell was behind all this…_

The savage attacks made even less sense now than they had when they'd started. I couldn't think of anyone who'd spend so much time creating that serum, and the pills, hit thirty mammals with them, then just…vanish. What the heck had they been after?

"You keep staring at the floor like that, you're gonna burn a hole through it."

I jumped, looking up to see Trevor. He had the same, mostly blank look on his face that he always did, watching me like I was a lizard in a maze. I swallowed.

"Oh, uh, h-hey, Trevor," I shook my head. _Nice one, Wilde, he probably thinks you're terrified of him now…_

He ran a paw through his mane, which still looked kinda patchy, and sat down next to me. We just sat there like a couple of single schmucks on prom night, watching everyone else and wondering if things could get any more awkward, until I finally pulled my head out of my ass and spoke up.

"L-Look, Trev, I-"

He held out a paw, not looking at me.

"If you apologize for any of this, I swear I will find the biggest, nastiest toilet in the city and dunk your ass in it," he brought his arm down, shoving his paw in his pocket. "No one with a working brain is blaming you for this, pipsqueak, so quit acting like we're coming after you with all guns blazing."

He glanced at Carrots, who was giggling with Mercy and Fru-Fru. He smirked.

"So, you and the bunny cop, huh? Gotta admit, I'm not too surprised."

I looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged.

"Besides the fact you've always had a thing for rabbits? We all saw how you looked at some of them," his nose wrinkled a bit, but he was still smirking. "That, and you smell like you bathed in each other."

I froze, my tail frizzing behind me. He laughed.

"I may not be in to that mixed species shit, but I'm not one of those psychos that's gonna stop you guys from doing it, as long as you don't shove the fact I'm the only single one in my face."

I put a paw to my chest.

"I would never do that!"

He rolled his eyes.

"You're never gonna grow up, are you?"

I smiled.

"Not if I can help it!"

He groaned, got up and went back to the group, his parents hugging on him, his mom marking him like a little kid. I chuckled, my gaze shifting back to Carrots. I sighed; god, she was beautiful, especially when she smiled. She glanced my way, her ears going pink when she caught me staring at her. She pulled away from their little group, Mercy and Fru-Fru had gotten lost in their own talk, anyway, and walked over to me, rubbing her arm like she always did when she got nervous.

"Well, looks like we did it, huh, Slick?" she climbed up next to me and leaned against my side. I wrapped an arm around her, holding her as close as I could.

"For the most part, yeah," I scanned the room. Paul was still talking to Trevor and their parents, Mercy and Fru laughing about something, a few other mammals and families looking at us, either silently thanking us or blaming us, I really didn't care too much which. "You cops did all the real work, all I did was find a few things."

"You did a lot more than that, all of you did," Carrots looked up at me, still smiling. "Without you, I don't think we ever would've solved this, or it would've at least have taken about three times as long."

I chuckled, draping my tail across her lap. She hesitated, then slowly ran her paws through my fur, giggling when I choked on a groan and snapped it back.

"Okay, letting you near my tail in public, bad idea," I kissed the top of her head, then nuzzled the same spot. "But I'll still let you do whatever you want to it in private."

She giggled again.

"I'll only agree to that if you promise not to touch my ears in public anymore," she pushed herself up. "And we both know that's never gonna happen, so it looks like you're out of luck, Wilde."

She sat down, reached behind me and pulled my tail back in her lap. She didn't stroke it this time, just kind of held it there, almost hiding behind it as she watched the room. After a few minutes, she perked up again.

"Oh, Mercy managed to talk Paul and Trevor into doing karaoke with us this weekend, to celebrate kind of closing this case," she looked up. "Think you'll want to come with us?"

I tensed, turning away from her. It was a weird hang-up I had, one that didn't even make sense to me: I could sing in front of a stadium full of mammals no problem, but put me in a smaller place, like a theater or a bar? I just freaked out.

"I-I don't know," I rubbed the scars on my neck, an old nervous habit I still couldn't get rid of. "I-I was thinking of looking into this drug some more, see if I could find out who's been buying it-"

She shook her head, grabbed my shirt and pulled me down.

"We've got whole squads devoted to those loose ends at every precinct in the city, and they'll be able to do a whole lot more than just two or three mammals, so you're out of luck there, Slick," she kissed my nose. "And you know Mercy and I aren't gonna stop begging you until you go, so you might as well just give in now and save yourself the trouble."

She leaned closer, biting my ear before licking it. God, no wonder she loved it so much…

"And who knows? I might even let you 'play' with me afterward…"

I perked up, suddenly glad my last pair of shorts were so baggy. I bit back a groan, turning my head just enough to kiss her.

"You got a deal, Fluff, but you'll have to go completely by my rules this time."

Her eyes heated up, and she licked her lips.

"Already looking forward to it, Slick…"

* * *

"So, wait, you guys all decided the band was over?"

Trevor stared down at us. He and Paul had dropped by my place after spending the day with their parents, and Mercy had just blurted it out.

"Not right away," I straightened. "I was thinking the next album or the one after could be the last one. I mean, Paul and Mercy are going to the police academy, and I'm getting my PI badge, so we won't really have as much time for it. Besides-"

"We've already been doing this for about twelve years bro, fifteen if we wait until the next album," Paul crossed his arms. "Isn't that long enough?"

Trevor shook his head.

"That's not what I mean," he rubbed his face. "You all just decided this, without letting me in on it?"

"We, uh, couldn't really tell you, Trevor," Mercy curled up in her chair, playing with her tail. She'd always been kinda nervous around him. "We'd already been helping Judy for a couple months by the time it came up, and you weren't exactly…"

"You'd already gone savage," I leaned forward, putting my paws on my knees. "And it was never anything concrete, anyway. We weren't just going to disband without hearing how you felt about it first."

I sat back.

"And Carrots told me you got a criminal justice degree," I rubbed the back of my head. "And I was kinda hoping you'd be my partner in all this."

I glanced up when he didn't say anything, seeing his expression had barely changed.

"Please, Trevor?" Mercy looked at him. "Judy's going to help Paul and me get ready for the academy, we're both gonna try and get into Precinct One, and she and Nick can help you get your PI badge, too!"

"We'll all still be a team," Paul smiled at him. "And we'll be able to help a lot more mammals this way."

"And we don't _have_ to stop the band all together," I spoke up. "It'll just have to be a side project from now on, instead of our main thing."

I grinned up at him, just a bit.

"What do you think about that?"

Again, his face didn't change, and it felt like hours had passed before he finally sighed.

"Give me a few days to think about it," he got up and stretched. "I'll let you guys know next week."

He walked out, not looking back. The rest of us stared at each other after he'd left, not sure how to react.

"Geeze, I knew the band was important to him, but I didn't think he'd get _this_ ticked off about it," Paul let his arms flop to his sides. "Guess we should've given him some more before saying anything."

I scratched the back of my neck.

"Yeah, it wasn't really cool to spring it on him this soon, but we wouldn't have had to if _someone,_ " I turned to Mercy. "Didn't completely suck at keeping secrets."

Her whole face went red, and she slumped further in her seat.

"I know, I'm sorry I've got such a big mouth, guys," she swallowed. "I-I'm just not used to being able to talk whenever I want, to say whatever I want."

She looked up at us.

"Guess it's just something else I'll have to work on before we hit the academy."

"Speaking of which," Paul turned to me. "When does the next class start?"

I thought back to what Carrots had told me about it.

"Uh, only about a month, and you'll be there about nine," I forced my paw down; I'd start going bald if I kept scratching. "From what Carrots told me, it's pretty brutal, but you shouldn't have any problem if she promised to help you guys out."

Mercy shuddered.

"She showed me some pictures she took when she had to help teach a class there, I'm pretty sure we won't be ready in time," she swallowed. "But we can at least get as close as we can, right?"

"Yep," Paul got to his feet. "But you know she'll probably rope you into it too, right, Nick?"

I laughed.

"She already did, but I know I can handle it, it's you two softies I'm worried about."

"Softies!" Mercy jumped up. "I could bench press you without trying, brush-tail!"

I laughed again.

"I'm only half your size, so that's not really saying much," I jumped back when she swiped at me. "And you're gonna need a lot more than that if you expect to make it through."

"He's right, Mercy, I just got an e-mail from Judy about it," he scrolled through something on his phone, then swallowed. "I don't know how we'll be able to get started on even _half_ this stuff before we have to head out…"

Mercy's ears dropped, and she fell back in her chair.

"Maybe we should just until the class after this one, then? At least we'll have all the time we need to prepare."

I shook my head.

"The Chief pulled a lot of strings to get you guys the last spots in _this_ class, you really want to risk getting on his bad side because you decided to go later?"

"Good point," Paul shivered. "It'd be better not to, especially if we're gonna work for him."

Mercy looked between us, then sighed.

"I guess you're right," she perked up again. "So I guess we better get started!"


	70. Chapter 70

_"_ _Come on, Fin, you almost got it!"_

 _Fin wobbled, gurgling as I held him up, sitting on my knees and watching his feet. It was raining again, and I'd spent all morning trying to make him walk._

 _"_ _Nicky," Daddy laughed, watching us from the couch. "Fin can't even stand yet, it'll be a while before he can walk."_

 _"_ _He can do it!" I took a paw off Fin's diaper and grabbed his, keeping him on his feet while he kept wobbling. "He'll get it this time!"_

 _I took my other paw off his diaper, which turned out to be a bad idea. He wobbled again, then fell over and started crying. I rolled him over, nuzzling his tummy like I'd seen Mommy and Daddy do lots of times. He started sniffling, laughing when I blew and made a big fart sound. He grabbed my nose when I tried sitting up, making that funny gurgling sound when I went back down._

 _"_ _N-uh…N-uh…" his ears flicked. "Nich! Nich!"_

 _I looked up when Daddy gasped, he was crying._

 _"_ _Where's my camera when I need it?"_

I cringed, shoving the memory back. Fin's first word hadn't been 'mommy' or 'daddy' like most kits, it'd been my name. Even when he was way too young to understand, he'd loved me that much, and I'd let him down.

 _I'm sorry, Fin,_ it was still weird, not feeling that pain and tightness in my chest when I thought about him. I'd be lying if I said I didn't still feel guilty, but ever since I'd met Carrots, I'd just started feeling…lighter, every time we talked. I couldn't explain it, but I couldn't really complain about it, either.

"And I thought us girls took too long to get dressed…"

I turned, my jaw dropping a bit when I saw her. Her outfit wasn't anything too special: just her usual black leggings with a shirt that was a little shorter and tighter than usual, but there was something about the way she just… _glowed_ that drew me in. I turned away, clearing my throat before smirking at her.

"It takes more than rolling out of bed to look as good as I do, Fluff, it's a full-time job!"

She rolled her eyes, walked in and shut the door behind her.

"No one looks good in those tacky Pawaiian shirts," she hopped up and snatched it off the bed. "And how weird would it look if you were the only one wearing slacks?"

She swiped them from me and went to my dresser, folding them and tossing them on top. I groaned, rubbing a paw over my eyes as she dug through the drawers; at least I got a nice view of her ass.

"Those shirts are all silk, Carrots," I crossed my arms. "And they're not tacky, they're comfortable!"

She snorted, pulling out a pair of cargo pants and throwing them at me.

"Yeah, and nothing says 'don't take me seriously' like a pink and white silk shirt," she shut the last drawer and turned to me. "Or are you _trying_ to make mammals think you're a talking pile of cotton candy?"

I rolled my eyes, flipping her off as I tugged them on. They were dark camo print, a little tighter than I usually liked, but I didn't really feel like wasting time by arguing with her. And I figured I might as well get used to it now, since I didn't see much chance of it stopping in the future.

"Okay, I'm lost," she walked out of my closet. "How can you have those silk eyesores in so many colors, yet not seem to know what a plain T-shirt is?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I've got plenty of them, I just usually work-out or do projects in them, I don't wear them out," I went my dresser, digging through one of the drawers she couldn't reach. "But if you're _so_ intent on having me wear one, I've got a few I actually keep clean."

I pulled out a black tank and tugged it on, smoothing it down as I turned to her.

"But I really don't get why it's such a big deal all of a…" I trailed off, my nose twitching as I picked up the shift in her scent. She was staring at me, biting her lip and messing with the ear flopped over her shoulder. It was hard to miss how red the inside was. "What?"

She blushed harder.

"N-Nothing," her teeth tightened on her lip. "You just look really hot right now…"

I glanced down, not seeing what the big deal was, but if she liked it that much, then I guess I could be a little more open about wearing it. I looked back at her, flashing the smile that made any girl melt.

"You're not looking too bad yourself, Fluff," I walked over and knelt in front of her, tilting her chin toward me when she looked away. "But I'm not sure why you still get all shy around me."

She rubbed her arm, staring at the floor.

"I don't really know why, it just happens," she looked up at me. "This is one of the longest relationships I've had, and you're pretty much the only one who hasn't tried to talk me out of my dreams…"

She sighed, taking my wrist as she dropped her stare.

"I guess I'm just wondering what I did to deserve you."

I blinked, then chuckled.

"If anyone here should be asking that, it's me, Fluff," I held her paws. "I've been pretty selfish most of my life, and I've done _a lot_ of screwed up shit, and all you've ever done is inspire mammals. You make everyone around you want to do better, to _be_ better."

I folded my ears back, knowing not even my fur could hide how red they were.

"And as completely cheesy as it sounds, you were a light that showed up during one of the darkest parts of my life, and unlike me, you never let yourself fade," I put a paw on her back and pulled her close. "I'll always admire you for that, Judy, and no matter what happens in the future, I promise I'll always be there for you."

I hugged her, tightly, knowing I wouldn't be able to stop myself if I kissed her. She hugged me back, nuzzling my neck.

"You've taught me a lot, too, Nick, I never knew how…narrow my worldview was until I met you," she pulled back, her ears still flat against her head. "I grew up thinking everything was black and white, but you, all of you, have shown me just colorful the world is, and that just because you know a mammal, may even be related to them…"

She traced a paw down my muzzle, her eyes glossing with tears.

"That you'll still never know just how deep their hatred, kindness, or whatever force drives them might run, or what they're willing to do to make the world how they want it," her paw slipped to my chest. "You made me realize it's impossible for me to do everything on my own, and that I shouldn't try to. Everything's so much easier when you have a team behind you, when you have mammals you can trust with your life."

She blinked, swiping at her eyes with her arm.

"It took me way too long to realize that you, Mercy, Paul, and now Trevor are that team, and I know it's only going to keep getting bigger," she smiled, tears leaking down her cheek. She cleared her throat. "W-What I'm trying to say is, thank you, Nick, all of you. For everything you've done and for everything I know you will do. You've inspired me just as much as I have you, and I hope we can keep doing that, no matter what might happen between now and then."

She hugged me, and this time I couldn't stop myself from kissing her. I held her tightly, hearing her breathy little moan when my claws brushed her side. She dragged hers through the fur on the back of my neck, pressing against me as her tongue slipped past my lips.

"W-We still have some before we have to g-go," she moaned again when she pulled away, the new sweet thickness in her scent telling me exactly what she wanted. "P-Please, Nick, help me…"

I groaned, sliding my paws under her shirt before tugging it off completely. I leaned down and bit her lip, loving her gasp when my nose moved down to her chest.

"I'll do whatever you need me to, Fluff," I licked her fur, then bit down. "You've got me wrapped around your finger."

She giggled, taking my paw and dragging me to the bed.

"Good, because it's time to put yours to good use," she glanced back at me, flashing the hottest grin I'd ever seen on her. "Then, it's my turn."


	71. Chapter 71

Mercy was the only one there when we showed up, lying on the seat of one of the biggest booths in the place. Carrots brushed my side when a group of rabbit bucks went past us, most of them either leering at her or glaring with disgust at me. I tightened my grip on her paw, glancing down and flashing a smile.

"They just know they'll never have a chance with you," I whispered it, kissing the tip of her ear. She bit her lip, groaning softly as we climbed into the booth, Mercy sitting up and putting her phone on the table.

"Hey guys," she sounded miffed. Carrots glanced around.

"Where are Paul and Trevor?"

"They're still at their parents' place," she shrugged. "They're still freaked out about the whole 'going savage' thing, and it takes a lot for them to let those two out of their sight. Paul said they should be here soon, though."

"Hmm," she stood, going for the book in the middle of the table. "So, why'd you pick this place?"

"A couple reasons," Mercy crossed her legs and leaned back on her paws. "You've never been here, they have awesome food, and _of course_ for the karaoke!"

"Oh, right!" Carrots lit up, grabbing the book and starting to flip through it. She'd only gotten a few pages in when Paul and Trevor finally showed up, Paul rubbing his forehead like he was trying to get something off it.

"Ugh, thought they'd _never_ let us out of there!"

"I know," Trevor slumped in the seat after Paul climbed in. "I don't think I'll ever get those things off!"

He glanced at Mercy, who was openly snickering.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Snowdrift!"

She broke down, tears streaming from her eyes as she tried to breathe.

"I can't help it," she laughed again. "You guys have been scent-marked so much I can barely even smell _you_ past them!"

"Their parents are just scared, Mercy," even Carrots was giggling. "About half of my siblings are married with a dozen or more kits, and my parents _still_ scent-mark them just about every chance they get!"

"Isn't that kinda normal for bunnies, though?" Trevor sat up. "You guys are pretty protective of each other, right?"

"Well, yeah," she shrugged. "But it also hasn't been that long since all that Night Howler stuff ended. I'm sure as time goes on, they'll calm down."

I kept a close eye on Carrots as she talked, looking for the subtle signs she'd been putting out the last couple months. It had taken her a few weeks to stop breaking down every time she saw something related to the case, but I knew she still wasn't over what her uncle had done. Whenever she talked about it, the tips of her ears would twitch, or her nose, and her eyes would gloss over with tears for half a second before she blinked them away, but I knew she wasn't shutting it down completely like she had after the sniper at the press conference. I'd smelled tears almost every time I'd picked her up at her place, and a few times there'd been half-dried spots on her clothes. I stopped myself from putting my arm around her, having learned my lesson from the first few times I'd tried. A few seconds passed before she swallowed, going back to the book open in her lap.

"They've got a lot of Gazelle," she muttered. "No surprise there, but it's not quite what I'm in the mood for…"

She flipped to a random page, scanning a few names before squealing.

"Ooh, Mercy, look, they have Paula Abmule!"

"Really?!" Mercy jumped at the song book. "Ooh, Judy, look what song they have! We _gotta_ sing that one!"

"Of course!" Carrots giggled. "It's one of my favorites!"

"Mine, too," she tugged on the bunny. "Come on, let's go tell them!"

They shot off to whoever was in charge of the songs, leaving the three of us staring at each other like they'd just grown wings.

"Uh, you guys follow any of that?" Trevor asked. I crossed my arms.

"Nope."

"Not a word," Paul shook his head, then went for the book. "Hey, uh, how about you and I do one, Nick?"

I froze, sinking back against the seat.

"Uh, I-I don't know…"

Paul rolled his eyes.

"This is one thing I'll never be able to figure out about you," he slid closer and set the book down between us. "Screaming crowds of a hundred thousand? No problem. Karaoke bars or any place that only fits about a hundred, max? Total stage fright, it makes no sense!"

"You think I don't know that?" I glared at him, still trying to shove that stupid fear down. "I don't even get why it happens, it just does!"

Trevor shook his head.

"If that little bunny can do it, I'm sure you can," he smirked. "Or are you just worried you'll screw up in front of her?"

My tail thumped against the seat.

"O-Of course that's not it," I stammered out. "T-This started way before I even knew she existed!"

They both snickered, turning to the stage set up at the other end of the room as the lights dimmed, the owner announcing the first song of the night.

"Give it up for these lovely ladies, folks!"

Most of the mammals in the bar laughed, my tail bristling when a few of them threw out wolf whistles and cat-calls. Paul laughed.

"Oh, so now you're chicken _and_ jealous," he pushed the book toward me. "We could always go after them, you know."

I rolled my eyes as crowd cooled down and the music finally started, some pop tune I vaguely recognized as being big when I was little.

"He's a coldhearted snake," Mercy launched right into it. "Look into his eyes, oh oh, he's been telling lies!"

I'd heard her sing a thousand times, but it never stopped hitting me how great she was. Professional voice lessons were pretty much the only good thing her folks had ever done for her. Carrots just danced through the first couple verses, and I was sure my mouth wasn't the only one that dropped when she started.

"It was only late last night, he was out there sneakin', then he called you up to check that you were waiting by the phone!" her smile lit the stage in a way plain lights never could, and I couldn't even begin to describe her voice. It was just…perfect. "All the world's a candy store, he's been trick or treatin'…"

I kinda zoned out after that, trying to figure out why she'd want to be a police officer when she could sing like that, but it didn't take long to figure out. She didn't care about fame, just helping mammals, and a cop was one of the best ways to do that.

I pulled out of it when the song faded, the whole bar going crazy as they walked off the stage, both of them looking completely embarrassed at the attention. They slid past me and sat down, both their ears and faces flaming.

"Oh, wow, I can _not_ believe I just did that," Carrots giggled, leaning against me. "What did you think, Nick?"

I stared down at her, finally managing to shut my mouth.

"I think we just found our new back-up singer!"

I didn't think it was possible for her to blush any more, but she managed it.

"R-Really? You think I'm that good?"

"Not just think," Paul leaned over the table. "You're freaking awesome!"

"Yeah, you really are, Judy!" Mercy beamed at her. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

She pressed her paws to her mouth, turning away to bury her face in my side.

"Because it's so embarrassing! I usually hate it when mammals hear me sing!"

"Why?" Trevor didn't look all that impressed, but I could tell he was. "Where'd you learn to belt it out like that?"

She giggled, barely peeking out from my shirt.

"M-My grandmother, Amelia Weston," she bit her lip. "I-I never thought I was that good, but my whole family wanted me to follow in her footsteps, so she spent every second she could to teach me."

She buried her face in my side again, her blush flaring a few more minutes before finally dying down. I wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling the top of her head.

"Well, you're incredible, and now I'm never gonna stop reminding you, so you'll just have to learn to deal with it."

She groaned, tilting her head back and resting her chin on my side.

"I'll only let you do that if _you_ sing something now. I wanna hear what you sound like when you're _not_ auto-tuned to oblivion."

I scoffed.

"How dare you, I never use autotune!"

We all laughed, Paul picking up the book and flipping back to the start.

"C'mon, I'll even go up there with you, you big baby," he glanced at me. "And I think I just found the perfect choice."

He turned it around, pointing to a song about half-way down the page.

"Looks like you'll get your wish, Fluff," I smirked down at her, kissing her forehead. "Prepare to have your mind blown."

She giggled as Paul and I slipped out, Paul heading to the guy in charge as she tugged me back by my tail.

"You better try up there," she looked smug. "Or round two will have to be cut a bit short."

She let me go and sat back, her eyes heating up as the owner announced us.

"Looks like we got all of Savage Wilde here tonight, folks! Make some noise for Wilde and King!"

The whole place went freaking nuts. I grabbed the mic and swallowed, forcing myself to chill as the song started, focusing on Carrots to block out the rest of the crowd.

"I never knew there'd come a day, when I'd be saying to you," I managed not to screw up, my voice even smoother than when we recorded. "Don't let this good love slip away, now that we know that it's true!

"Don't, don't you know the kind of male I am? No, said I'd never fall in love again," I smiled at her, my heart racing for a whole new reason when she smiled back. "But it's real, and the feeling comes shining through!"

Paul kicked in at the chorus, and it didn't take long to see who he focused on. His voice was deeper than it usually was when we messed around, telling me he actually was taking it seriously.

"I'm so caught up in you, little girl, that I never did suspect that I'd be, so caught up in you, little girl, that I never want to get myself free…"

It was hard to hear ourselves when the girls in the place started screaming again, but all that mattered was those two faces in the crowd, the only girls that would ever really matter to us. I barely noticed when the song ended, the place getting even louder as Carrots and Mercy ran toward us. She jumped on me, hanging from my neck as I wrapped my arms around her.

"Oh, Nick, that was perfect!" she kissed me. "Both of you were amazing!"

I chuckled, rubbing my cheek along hers.

"And I don't know about Paul, but I meant every word of it."

Paul nudged my shoulder, and I'm sure he would've shoved me if I hadn't been holding her.

"Of course I meant it, I've got a girl now, too, you know!"

She and Mercy giggled.

"And I'm glad you meant it," Mercy put her arms around his shoulders. "Because I'm not about to let you go, lynx-boy."

He gulped, his ears flaring as he pressed them back against his head.

"O-Oh boy..."

* * *

 _Songs used in this chapter are "Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul and "Caught Up in You" by 38 Special. I highly recommend checking both of them out!_


	72. Chapter 72

"So, wait, your grandma was _the_ Amelia Weston?"

Paul and Mercy stared down at Carrots. She laughed, her paw tightening on mine as she smiled.

"Yep, she taught as many of us to sing as she could, even before she retired," she looked back at the street. Trevor and I had parked around the corner from her apartment complex, one of the worse ones in Savanna Central, the Grand Pangolin Arms. However the hell that was supposed to make sense. "She and my parents wanted at least half of us to be singers, and I'm sure if I hadn't decided to be a cop, that's what I would've done."

"I can't remember if you told us this or not," Mercy spoke up. "But, why _did_ you want to be a cop?"

Carrots thought about it, glancing at the sky before turning back to them.

"I've always wanted to help mammals, ever since I was little, and I decided a cop was the best way to do that. Of course," she smiled. "Every time a mammal told me I couldn't do it, it just made me more determined to prove them wrong."

"And now look at you," Trevor actually sounded impressed. "First bunny ever in the ZPD, one of the best, too, if the media's telling the truth for once."

She flushed, her ears twitching down before she forced them back up.

"We all know they're exaggerating half of it, and they're not giving you guys the credit you deserve."

Paul shrugged.

"Eh, we're used to it by now," he perked up. "Oh, did I ever tell you that Nick pretty much single-pawedly made it so mixed-species couples could-"

He cut off at a noise, almost like thunder under water, followed by bright, flickering lights and a lot of screaming.

"T-That came from my building…" Carrots dropped my paw and took off, the rest of us not far behind. I slid to a stop on some loose gravel, my jaw dropping when I saw what was waiting for us. Mammals ranging from weasels to gazelles were crowded in the parking lot, every set of eyes locked on three third story windows that looked like they'd been smashed from the inside, flames licking at walls that were already half-charred. Smoke hazed across the moon, half the debris still on fire as it floated to the ground. A minute later, another explosion rocked the ground, a fresh wave of panic spilling from the crowd as the next row of windows blew out, Judy not even caring when broken glass rained down around her. She'd dropped to her knees, her shoulders shaking; even with all the noise, I could still hear her crying.

"No. No…"

I glanced at the others, then ran over and knelt down behind her, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to touch her, my paws hovering just above her arms.

"Judy…"

It was apparently all she needed to hear to let herself break down. She whirled, throwing herself at me and burying her face in my chest. I clung to her, stroking her ears, burying my nose in the space between them.

 _One of those apartments must be hers,_ I stated the obvious to myself. I couldn't help but chuckle a little. _But I'm sure she'd be more worried about anyone getting hurt from it._

She sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve before looking up at me.

"T-They were fumigating again this week, complimentary once a month," she managed to laugh a little, but it sounded close to hysterical. "S-So the building was empty…"

She burrowed into my chest again, her shaking getting worse when sirens screamed behind us.

"Everybody get back! We have to get this fire under control!"

I tuned out everything after that, focused completely on the rabbit losing it in my arms. I held her tightly, forcing back my own tears as I rubbed her head, smoothing down her ears and tracing my claws down her side. Her breath hitched as the tears trickled to a stop, pressing herself as close as she could before nuzzling under my chin.

"I-I think I'm alright for now," she grabbed my shirt, her other paw slipping around my back. "Please, just…hold me for a while."

I nodded, sitting crossed-legged and tucking her in my lap. As much as the fire kept everyone's attention, it was hard to miss the few mammals that turned to stare at us, either confused or pissed off. It wasn't too easy to ignore what they said, either.

"I saw those two on the news, so disgusting…"

"A bunny cop is bad enough, but now she's… _involved_ with that dirty pelt…"

"I'd still tap that, once she came to her senses…"

"I wouldn't. Who knows what she's caught from him…"

I shoved down the urge to snarl at them, turning to Judy when she pushed back to look at me. Her eyes were red, her nose twitching, but she seemed to have stopped crying, at least for now.

"L-Looks like I'll be crashing at your place again, huh?" she blushed and looked away. "T-That is, if you want me there…"

I brushed a claw over her lips, then tapped her nose with mine.

"Of course I do, Fluff," I tilted her head back and kissed her, my ears dropping when I ended it. "A-And I know this isn't the best time to bring it up, but I was actually thinking about asking you to move in with me anyway…"

I muttered the last of it, but I should've known she'd still hear it, her ears perking up as they went bright pink.

"O-Of course I will, Nick," she draped her arms over my shoulders. "B-But I guess I kind of live there already, though, huh?"

I chuckled. As far as I knew, pretty much everything she owned was already set up in the room I'd given her at my place; the only reason we'd come here was to see if the building was clear so she could grab some stuff. I kissed her again, just about to get lost in it when something hit my arm; I looked down, my jaw dropping when I saw the sooty, ripped-off head of a fox plush, a rolled up bit of paper stuck in the stuffing. She looked like she was fighting tears again when she reached for it, her paws shaking when she pulled it out. She held the head to her chest as she unrolled the paper, the fear in her gasp hard to miss when she saw what was written on it.

 _Gray safari listed heat vase4 Heat zorro ember zorro tundra vase4 Zorro gray gray zorro xenia past heat4 Dawn vase indigo vase4 Quest forest heat gray4 Heat gray vase kite4 Listed mud vase43 Mud rain xenia past base43 Mud listed dawn4 Rain4 Zorro north4 Tundra listed rain north tundra4 Gray listed4 Indigo rain kite4 Base listed forest indigo4 Open rain under vase4 Zorro kite zorro indigo gray4 Zorro mud west4 Under vase vase west4 Rain gray4 Gray listed4 Base listed forest43 Kite rain vase xenia vase4 Yet base4 Under forest xenia past rain mud tundra4 Kite rain vase xenia vase40 West listed4 Gray safari vase4 Heat north zorro indigo gray4 Gray safari rain mud tundra4 Under listed indigo4 Listed mud xenia vase4 Zorro mud west4 Listed under under4 Base listed forest indigo heat vase open under4 Yet vase under listed indigo vase4 Rain4 Gray zorro past vase4 Gray listed listed4 North forest xenia safari40 Rain4 Zorro north4 Dawn zorro gray xenia safari rain mud tundra4 Base listed forest40_

My head snapped toward the crowd, a low growl in my throat as I scanned every single mammal for any tell, but all of them seemed to have completely forgotten about us, getting even more worked up when they saw the fire department's efforts just seemed to be making things worse.

"Water's not working, Chief," an ibex ran up to an old bobcat, both of them in full fire gear. "And neither's the foam, I've never seen anything like it!"

"Neither have I," the chief barked orders into the radio strapped to his shoulder, telling his team to try everything else. I already knew there wouldn't be a point; a fire accelerant that just reacted more violently to anything any fire department might throw at it? I'd only seen it a couple times before, and I'd once been really close to the mammal who'd created it. I scanned the crowd again, trying to sort through all the sounds, sights and smells, but besides Carrots and the rest of our friends, none of it was familiar. Seeing that old code again wasn't doing much to help my focus, either, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if I missed a few things. Going from the edge of the crowd back to the front, my gut tightened when I caught movement, like someone wanted to avoid being seen. But I knew that wasn't the case this time, my ears perking forward as mammals complained about being shoved or having something stepped on, and the next I knew, the world slipped away again.

My eyes locked on the mammal once they'd pushed themselves to the front, my heart racing when I saw their glare, the hatred on their face.

A face I'd long stopped thinking I'd ever see again.

" _D-Delilah…_ "


	73. Chapter 73

"Now, Nick, are you sure you saw her?"

Rocco held up his paws when I growled at him, but I knew he wasn't really scared of me. He was one of the only mammals I knew who never had been.

"Of course I'm sure," I snapped. "I'd recognize her fucking face anywhere!"

I slammed my face into my paws. It'd been almost ten years since I'd seen her, almost three since I'd even thought about her, and now it's looking like she had a part in blowing up not only my girlfriend's apartment, but the eight closest to it. It didn't matter that it had been empty, or that it was probably gonna be demolished soon, anyway, she and whoever she was working with were still targeting innocent mammals. And all in some twisted attempt to get back at me.

 _They went too far with this a long time ago,_ I growled again, jumping to my feet. _I've got to stop them before anyone else gets hurt!_

"Hey, wait!" Rocco shot up from his chair. "Where are you going?"

I stopped, glaring over my shoulder. This time, he did step back.

"Just remembered I've got a very important call to make."

I ran to my room and grabbed my phone from my nightstand, pacing as I unlocked it.

 _Looks like I was right._

I hadn't seen her number in years, but it had been burned into my mind, and this just proved she hadn't changed a bit since we'd dated.

 _'_ _it's been such a Long timE, hasn'T iT, nicky? fingers crossed you still remember me!'_

 _'_ _and now tHat you'vE finally started to fiGure out whAt's going on, how about we Make things morE interesting?'_

 _'_ _it's just too Bad your "littlE" friends had to Get caught up In our feud agaiN'_

 _'_ _but since theY are, it's Only fair that they get to play, too, so i'll make yoU a deal.'_

 _'_ _when you finish Reading this, one of theM will already have been targeted'_

 _'_ _yOur job is to figure out which one it is, if you want to keep them aliVe. and if you'rE still as Smart as you were back then, i doubt you'll have a problem.'_

 _'_ _i Will givE you one clue, though. thEy know whaT it's like to eat a once-living tHing. that should rEally help nArrow things down, don't you think?'_

 _'_ _better huRry, Though, nicky, i can only give you so long! have fun!'_

I couldn't figure out how I felt when I finished reading it, it was just too much to take in. I barely noticed when my legs buckled, my phone slipping from my shaking paw as I dropped to my knees. My whole body had gone almost completely numb. As crazy as Delilah was, I couldn't believe she'd actually willingly be part of something like this. Yeah, she was a thief, a liar and a cheat, she was also way too possessive and jealous, and while she'd manipulate and use mammals to get what she wanted, she'd never physically hurt any of them. As quickly as I'd learned what lines she would or wouldn't cross, I'd never even gotten close to figuring out what the hell had screwed up her head like that. A lot of mammals were just born twisted or insane, maybe she was one of them.

 _I don't have time to worry about that now, though,_ I grabbed my phone, pushing myself back to my feet. _I've gotta figure out who she's going after!_

I read through the last few messages again, singling out the little 'clues' she'd left me. If it were anyone else, I would've thought "little" meant Yumiko or Zariah, but Delilah would never put kids in danger. And if she hadn't said anything about "a once-living thing", I would've thought it was me, but just the smell of most kinds of meat was usually enough to make me sick. So who the hell could it be?

"Nick?" Carrots tapped on the door, poking her head in. "I was just coming to get you and Rocco when he said you ran off. I made us all dinner!"

"Really?" I got up and stuck my phone in my pocket. As hungry as I was right now, I knew I didn't have time to eat. Not if I wanted to get whoever she was targeting out of harm's way. She nodded.

"Yeah, I made an old family alfredo recipe, with a couple twists, of course."

I chuckled.

"Of course you did, because you just hate going by the rules."

She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Whatever. So, are you gonna come eat, or am I going to have to use The Look to force you?"

I rolled my eyes.

"No, you won't, Fluff, I'm coming," I stopped in front of her, shoving my paws in my pockets so she wouldn't see how nervous I was. "So, what carrot-choked thing are you gonna torture us with tonight?"

She glared at me.

"Well, that's one of the twists. I actually can't stand carrots, so I went with shrimp instead. And I cooked it separately, since I know you don't like meat."

I froze.

"Wait, what?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, I found out I like it after a friend at work dared me to eat it. I know it's weird," she went on. "Because, you know, prey, and I can't eat it too often, but I still like to treat myself to it once in a while."

She looked at me, completely lost.

"Why do you look so freaked out?"

I blinked, then threw up a mask even she wouldn't be able to see through.

"There's just something really wrong about a prey eating shrimp, Carrots," I walked past her, flicking my tail across the backs of her legs. She huffed again.

"What's so wrong about it?" she caught up to me with a hop. "Foxes get to be omnivorous, so why not bunnies?"

I put on a smirk.

"That's different, we evolved like that," I glanced down at her. "You guys evolved to eat salad and lawn clippings."

She groaned.

"I do _not_ eat lawn clippings!" she went to slug me, her glare getting worse when I caught her fist.

"I'm just messing with you, Fluff," I brought her fist down, threading my fingers through hers. "And I was kinda lying when I said I don't eat meat. I'm a pred, so going full vegetarian isn't really the smartest lifestyle choice. I don't like it, but I do eat fish once in a while, just because there are things I get from it that I don't from fruit or veggies."

She looked at me.

"But they have supplements and all kinds of plant-based substitutes for that kind of thing…"

"I know, and most of the time, that's what I use, but it doesn't always do the job," I swallowed. "There are times I just need the real thing, as sick as it makes me feel."

"Because you were raised by prey."

She stopped when we got to the stairs, sitting on the top step and pulling me down with her. I put my arm around her, not sure what else to do as she let the silence stretch out.

"I heard everyone else talking," she finally started. "A-About Delilah. I thought she disappeared after she left the band?"

I shrugged, I couldn't even look at her.

"She did. This is the first time there's been any sign of her since then," I swallowed, not sure how to tell her. "Sh-She threatened to-"

"Hey guys!" Mercy stared up at us. "You okay up there? The food's getting cold!"

"We're coming!" Carrots hopped back up, looking over her shoulder as she dragged me behind her. She lowered her voice until she was barely whispering. "We'll talk about this later."

I gulped, then nodded, hoping she couldn't tell how freaked out I still was.

 _'_ _Those savage attacks were just step one, Nicky, now I am going to rip your life apart and feed it to you, piece by fucking piece. Do the smart thing for once and off yourself before I take too much. I am watching you.'_


	74. Chapter 74

"Mom, it's okay, I'm…Mom, please…Mom!"

The only thing that surprised me about Carrots' parents calling was they hadn't done it sooner. ZNN had barely started running the segment this afternoon before her phone started going crazy. She hadn't bothered trying to ignore it like she had last time, since Ed had threatened to eat her if she didn't get them to stop. And just like then, she'd barely been able to get a word in.

 _"_ _I knew this would happen if we let you go,"_ her dad sounded like he was close to a heart attack. _"We're coming to get you right this instant, young lady!"_

Carrots groaned, loudly.

"Dad, that's really not necessary," she spoke over him. "No one was even _in_ the building when it happened! No one was hurt!"

 _"_ _That's not the point, Jude,"_ he actually sounded calmer. _"The point is you've been in over your head since you arrived in that place, and it's about time you came back and stopped putting yourself in danger for no reason!"_

She started to growl, cutting it off and shaking her head.

"Dad, the paperwork's already gone through on my transfer, it would be too much of a hassle for me to do it again. Besides," she threw on a tight smile. "Nick asked me to move in with him, so I'm just about as safe as I could be now!"

I cringed, glad her dad couldn't see me. There hadn't been anything from Delilah since those messages two nights ago, and I still couldn't figure out who she was supposed to be targeting. Had she just been trying to scare me, or had it just been some elaborate way of admitting she'd planted that bomb in Carrots' apartment?

 _She_ would _leave something like that just hanging, though,_ I leaned over my notebook again, scratching out a few lines and just sketching random shit on the page. _After all, one of her favorite things to do is screw with mammals…_

I glanced up when her dad sputtered, and it was hard not to laugh as he tried to form a complete sentence.

 _"_ _J-Jude, that's…how could…wha…huh?!"_ some kind of slapping sound, had he just smacked himself? _"T-That is_ not _how we raised you, Judy! I-It's bad enough you two rutted under our roof, a-and now you're_ living _with him? Before you're even engaged?!"_

She rolled her eyes.

"News flash, dad, it's _not_ 1969 anymore, things are different now!" she got that sly, sexy smirk I just loved. "I'm also still on the pill, _and_ we've been using condoms since we got back, so you won't be getting any grandkits from us!"

He choked, then started sputtering again. It was easy to imagine the freaked-out look on his face, especially when her mom started talking.

 _"_ _We're just worried you might be moving a little fast, sweetheart,"_ she started. _"You really haven't known him that long, a-and his background isn't exactly the most clean-cut-"_

"I know, Mom," she smiled, a real one this time. "But you know how I fawned over him in high school, and aside from a few hiccups in the first few weeks, he's made me happier than I ever thought I could be!"

I tucked my tail into my lap to keep it still, seeing the pink in her ears when she turned to glance at me.

"And it's not like my apartment will be available any time soon. It and all the units closest to it will still need to be repaired once they finishing processing and release the crime scene, and that could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months," she ran a paw over her ears. "That was the only apartment I could find that I could afford with the money I'd saved and would've been able to keep with my starting salary. And you know how hard it is for a bunny to find a roommate that doesn't want it going beyond that…"

Her mom sighed.

 _"_ _We understand all of that, sweetheart, we do, we just…"_ she trailed off, then her dad cut back in.

 _"_ _We're just saying, maybe it would be better for you to come back home, at least until things have calmed down out there."_

She shook her head.

"You're asking me to abandon my dream job and the best friends I've ever made just because things are still a little rough here," she frowned. "Sorry, but you know I've never been the type to run with my tail between my legs, and I'm not about to start now, s, if that's all you're going to talk to me about, then I think it's time we hung up."

She didn't give them a chance to answer, ending the call and throwing her phone to the other end of the couch.

"You'd think I was chasing a deranged polar bear empty-pawed with how they're carrying on!"

I sighed, dropping my notebook on the side table as I got to my feet.

"They're just worried about you, Fluff," I sat down behind her. "And with everything that's happened, you can't really blame them."

"I know," she tucked herself in my lap, taking my paws and wrapping my arms around herself. "But I've trained pretty much my whole life to be a cop, and they still want me to just give it up so I can marry some farmer and have three hundred kits!"

She thumped my thigh with her fist, then threw her paws over her eyes.

"I'm so sick of them babying me!"

I nuzzled between her ears, then licked the same spot.

"You've been right in the middle of a whole bunch of shit lately," I told her. "They're just worried."

"I know," she snuggled closer to me. "And it's not them being worried that bugs me, it's the fact they still think I'm just going to get myself killed. I've lived away from home for over a year now and the only time I've gotten hurt since is while we were back there!"

I cringed.

"And that only happened because you were chasing after me, a half-deranged fox that could've killed you because I was panicking."

She sighed, reaching up and rubbing my muzzle.

"That only happened because Wyatt attacked you," she dropped her paw. "I-I'm just amazed you still want to-"

"And you can just stop right there," I picked her up and turned her around. I took her paws, gripping them tightly. "What Wyatt did has nothing to do with you, and nothing could change how I feel about you, I promise you that."

I cupped her face in my paws, wiping away tears she probably didn't even know were there.

"I've said this before," I went on. "And I'll say it as many times as I need to to make you believe it."

I swallowed.

"You're the most important thing in my life, Judy," I leaned in and kissed her. "And I love you more than anything."

She sniffled, leaning into my paw when I swiped at her tears again.

"I love you, too, Nick," she smiled. "And I'm sorry for being such a dumb bunny."

I chuckled, pulling her close and hugging her.

"And I'm sorry in advance for being such a dumb fox, because we both know that's not gonna stop any time soon."

She kissed me, pulling away when both our phones started ringing. I pulled mine from my pocket, while she swiped hers off the coffee table.

"It's Mercy," she swiped to accept the call, crawling to the other end of the couch. "Hello?"

I tuned her out as I accepted my own call, Paul's freak-out cutting me off before I could even talk.

 _"_ _Nick, oh thank god,"_ he almost never got this worked up. _"I-It's Fru-Fru, s-she's in the hospital!"_

"What?!" I sat straight up, Carrots doing the same. We stared at each other, and I knew I had the same fear on my face that she did. "We'll be right there!"


	75. Chapter 75

_This story's not going on a full hiatus, updates will most likely just be a lot slower from now on. Not only do I have_ Camping Trip _to work on now, too, but I've been going pretty much non-stop on this story since I started it back in December, so it makes sense I'd start to feel just a little burnt out on it. I promise I won't stop until it's finished, though!_

* * *

 _"_ _Hey, Fru, can I ask you something?"_

 _She looked up at me, then put her book down. She'd been sitting on my knee for the past hour, helping me with trig while I helped her with history._

 _"_ _What's going on, Nicky?"_

 _I rubbed the back of my neck, knew my ears were as red as my fur. I hated feeling like a shy little baby._

 _"_ _Well, uh, I…met a girl at school today, she just transferred from some fancy private place…" I cleared my throat, wishing my voice would just stop cracking already. I'd just started going again. "A-And I…"_

 _She squealed._

 _"_ _Aww, Nicky, you've got a crush, that's so cute!"_

 _I groaned, holding my ears to my head when she squealed again._

 _"_ _Could you stop trying to make my ears bleed and help me_ not _act like a total dipshit around her?!"_

 _She giggled._

 _"_ _Don't worry, Nicky, I'll teach you about everything we girls like, there's no way you'll be able to screw this up!" she grabbed my shirt and climbed to my shoulder, then to the back of the couch. I turned, leaning back against the arm of the couch so I wouldn't have to twist my head around to see her. "I know how good you are at reading mammals, especially when they have, or are something you want, so what've you figured out about this girl?"_

 _I swallowed, my ears going red again._

 _"_ _Well, she's hot, and she doesn't like listening, but she never really gets in trouble, either…"_

It was hard to keep the growl to myself. I was seventeen when I'd met Delilah, and for five years I'd let her control and manipulate me, thinking the whole time that her crazy behavior was completely normal. And to this day I still couldn't figure out if she'd ever actually cared about me or not.

"Do you think she's okay, Nick?" Carrots' paw tightened on mine. As much as my head was spinning, it was still hard to miss all the mammals whispering about us, and going by how her ears flicked around, she heard it, too.

"…thought this was a fox-free hospital…"

"Probably paying her…"

"As if she wasn't enough of a bad influence…"

"…ashamed to share my species with her…"

I just let it roll off me, I'd lived with it too long to do anything else, but I could feel the heat of her glare through the back of her head, as she pinned everyone who opened their mouth under it. I shivered, if looks could kill…

 _This place would probably be a morgue._

Mercy waved when she saw us, she, Paul and Trevor sitting across the hall from Raymond, standing next to Fru's door.

"How's she doing?" I took the last chair in the row, Carrots hopping up to curl in my lap. "What happened?"

Mercy messed with her paws before swallowing.

"W-We were at the mall, and Fru and I decided to split from Paul and Trevor. Raymond came with us, and…" she sniffled. "I-I don't know what happened!"

Paul leaned over and grabbed her shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Mercy, none of us knew this was coming."

She sniffed, then nodded.

"I-I know, and I'm sure if Raymond hadn't been there, things would've gone a lot worse," she wiped her eyes and took a breath. "W-We were looking at baby clothes, talking about how she and her husband were going to decorate Ju-Ju's nursery, w-when this pair of squirrels came out of nowhere and…"

She gulped, leaning closer to Paul when she started shaking.

"A-And just started shooting! G-Going on about how all the preds in the building were gonna die, that they had no place in the world anymore…"

She broke down completely, getting as close to Paul as she could without climbing over the arms of the chairs. I turned to Raymond, it'd be best not to keep pushing her.

"Is that true?"

He nodded.

"We're lucky they were so small," he shook his head, his accent thick as ever. "Their guns were unable to do much damage to most of their targets, but Miss Fru-Fru was not as lucky."

"It wasn't as bad as it could've been, though," Paul took over. "She was still bleeding when Trevor and I got there, but she was awake and talking."

"And screaming a shit-ton about the pain," Trevor's ears disappeared into his mane. "But they were at least able to catch those psycho squirrels before they killed someone."

I let out the breath I'd barely noticed I was holding. Fru had lost some blood, but she'd been able to feel it, so she wasn't paralyzed, or at least, hadn't been. I wanted to ask if any of them had seen her yet, when the door creaked open and an old ibex walked out, carrying a slightly-younger shrew in her hooves. The shrew looked around at us, but it was hard to read his face.

"Mrs. Faithe is awake and doing well, but I'm afraid only family is allowed to see her at the moment," he stopped, looking us over again. "Am I safe in assuming that none of you are related?"

"Uh…" I swallowed, Carrots sliding off my lap as I got up. "I-I'm her god-brother, can you tell us what happened?"

He sighed before taking out the tablet tucked under his arm.

"Her left hip and right shoulder were grazed by the bullets, resulting in moderately heavy blood loss, but aside from some scarring there shouldn't be any permanent long-term damage."

I could hear some of the tension flow out of the hallway, even Raymond visibly relaxed a bit. But that was just one of the things we'd all been worried about.

"A-And the baby?"

This time, it was hard to miss the smile that crossed his face.

"Little Judy Faithe is just fine, another week or two and she'll be ready to make her grand entrance."

"Little Judy?" Carrots touched my shoulder, the scent in the air telling me she was teary-eyed. "F-Fru-Fru named her daughter after me?"

"Why wouldn't she, Judy?" Mercy smiled at her. "After all, you're her best friend, _and_ you saved her life your second day in the city."

"Wow…" her paw tightened, and I knew she was blushing. "I-Is she awake right now? C-Can we see her?"

The shrew shook his head.

"Only family can visit for the first twenty-four hours, but I don't see anything wrong with the rest of you being able to see her tomorrow, as long as you keep it down to two visitors at a time."

"Oh, we will!" Mercy beamed at him, though she was still tearing up. "Thank you so much, Doctor!"

He smiled again.

"It's my pleasure. Now," the smile dropped a bit when he turned to me. "You said you were her god-brother?"

I nodded, my tail tucking in close to my feet.

"Y-Yes, that's right," I had no idea what to say, or how much. I didn't blame him for being skeptical about it, I couldn't believe it sometimes and I'd lived with it for thirty years. He stared at me a while, then nodded, tapping the ibex's hoof so she stood aside.

"We just gave her some medication to help with the pain, so you'll only have a few minutes to speak with her before it kicks in."

I nodded again, trying to keep my tail from twitching as I walked past them.

"I-I understand, thank you," I stopped just past the doorway, seeing Kevin sitting next to the bed, holding Mr. Big in his paws. Fru's bed was actually set up on top of the room's bear-sized one, giving her doctors plenty of room to work without having to worry about getting stepped on. Fru herself already looked pretty out of it, talking about nothing and laughing at everything like she did when she was drunk. I barely heard the door click shut behind me, getting rooted to the spot when I smelled her blood close-up.

 _And it's all because of me…_

"Don't you start thinking like that, Nicky," she slurred. "I know that look on your face, I'm not about to let you feel guilty for this!"

I rubbed my arm as I walked toward them, stopping about a foot away.

"I can't help it," I couldn't even look at them. "It hasn't even been a week since Carrots' apartment was hit, and now you're stuck in here!"

"Because some crazy squirrels had a grudge against predators," she sounded even more out of it. "It had nothing to do with Delilah!"

I cringed, glancing up to see all three of them staring at me, Fru-Fru going kinda cross-eyed. She yawned.

"I think I'll go to sleep now, good night," she curled up further, and the next second, she was out. As soon as she was, Mr. Big waved a paw, but it was like I'd been nailed where I stood.

"T-Tate, I'm…" I trailed off, my mind going blank. I hadn't called him that since I was four. Was I even allowed to, now that this had happened? "I-I'm so…"

The old shrew shook his head.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, my son," he said. "The only mammals to blame are those squirrels, and they have nothing to do with you."

"I-I know, but…" I shoved my paws through my hair, yanking on my ears before dropping them back to my sides. I sighed. "You know I'm not gonna stop feeling like this, not until Delilah and whoever she's working with are off the streets, even better if they end up six feet under."

He and Kevin just stared at me, and I knew what I must've looked like to them: the street punk with a hundred other gangs' prices on his head, ready and waiting to kick the ass of anyone stupid enough to try and collect them. I tried not to remember how I'd felt after some of those fights, how my ISS had almost always made me go completely overboard. Word had quickly spread that anyone who screwed with Nick Wilde was a dead mammal. And despite the fact I was an even better fighter than I'd been back then, I did everything I could to stay as far from scraps as possible, unless I was sure there was no other way out. Mr. Big sighed, stepping off Kevin's paw to walk across the giant bed, and it took everything I had to keep from stepping back.

"If it will help relieve your guilt, Nicolas, then I will do everything in my power to help you, as long as you promise me one thing."

I finally forced myself forward, kneeling by the bed and looking up at him.

"Anything, Tate, you know that."

He glanced over my head, smiling when he heard the talking from the other side of the door. When he turned back to me, there was a hard glint in his eyes that I hadn't seen in years.

"Promise me you won't forget what's really important," the soft, flat tone still made me shudder. "I will not have you go down that path again, not when you have so much to lose. Do you understand?"

I didn't hesitate, nodding once as I got back to my feet.

"I understand, Tate," I managed a smile when I heard Judy's laugh. "And I won't forget, I promise."

* * *

 _Language Note: Tate, and whether it's pronounced like "tate" or "ta-te", I have no idea, is Yiddish for dad or father._

 _And I'm going with the idea that Fru-Fru's husband's name is Antonio, because Antonio Faithe just sounds cool, don't you think? Also, what the heck are you supposed to call your god-sibling's kids? I really don't get how that whole thing works…_


	76. Chapter 76

I couldn't believe it'd been almost a year since I'd last touched my guitar. It was all I could think to do right now. Fru-Fru had been released last night, and Delilah had completely disappeared. At least it was quiet for now, but I knew it wouldn't last long. It never did.

"You know, you'll break that thing if you keep holding it like that."

I chuckled, putting it on the floor as Carrots hopped on the bed behind me, wrapping her arms around my neck and laying her chin on my shoulder. I reached up and held her paws, smiling as she rubbed her cheek against my neck. But then my smile faded.

"I'm just still trying to figure out what's going on," I tightened my grip on her paws, they were so small compared to mine. "It's not like Delilah to just vanish after a stunt like that."

It'd already been two weeks since Carrots' apartment had been bombed, and so far all they'd been able to get was that the bomb had been homemade, and the only reason it hadn't caused even more damage was because of how small it'd been, like a weasel or ferret had made it. Any prints that might've been on it would've been burned off in the fire, and the components were so common there wasn't much chance of narrowing down any kind of search. Carrots pulled one of her paws from mine, dragging it through my fur until she reached the scars on my chest; I shivered as she ran a claw over one, felt her sigh brush against my neck.

"Every time I see those, I-I don't know what to think," she buried her face in my shoulder, then started crying. "I-I spent so much of my life thinking predators and prey got along outside Bunnyburrow, o-only to find out that…t-that…"

"Hey, hey," I pulled her around next to me, tipping her head back and wiping her tears. "It's true, we don't all get along, Fluff, but it is getting better, and all because of mammals like you."

She blushed a bit.

"You're all a big part of that, too, Nick, you've done more for predators than I ever could have," she looked up at me. "And I wouldn't have been able to do half of what I did if you guys hadn't inspired me to in the first place."

I looked at her.

"But you wanted to be a cop since you were nine," I scratched at the scars on my neck. "The band didn't even exist back then, and our music's not exactly kit-friendly."

She rolled her eyes.

"I meant that you've all inspired me to look beyond prejudices I didn't even know I had. I wasn't always as open toward predators, especially foxes, as I am now."

She waved a paw toward her cheek, the scars I knew were still under her fur. I sighed.

"I guess I can understand that. After I learned what my parents pulled, I wasn't exactly too fond of prey," I leaned in and tapped my nose against hers. "But I thank god every day that I was able to get past it, so I didn't miss out on an amazing mammal like you."

She smiled shyly, her blush getting deeper.

"I feel the same way about you, Nick," she tilted her head, her nose slipping from mine. "I love you…"

She kissed me, but I pulled away before it went too far.

"I love you too, Judy," I said softly, my ears falling back. "But you know there's something else we have to talk about-"

"Later, Slick," she kissed me again, the paw that wasn't stroking my tail reaching down for my belt. "But I'm afraid I'm in heat again, and you know what happens when I let it get out of paw…"

She bit my lip and tugged on it, her little moan huffing across my fur when I kissed back, the hot spike in her scent starting to drive me crazy. I leaned forward every time she tried to end it, until I was pretty much lying on top of her. Somehow, she'd managed to shove my pants down over my tail, and I finished the job by kicking them off, only to have her push against my chest when I leaned in to nip her neck.

"No, Nick, please," her eyes locked with mine, the moonlight streaking through the window making them glow, almost ethereal. "I…I want you, but…"

Her ears flushed red, and she nibbled her lip before shoving out a breath.

"I…I want you to hunt me," she forced the words out. "I-I want to be your prey!"

I stared at her, pulling back as she sat up, her ears perking as her eyes swept over me. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't blow the shit out of my ego when her scent spiked again. But…

"Where's this coming from?"

She shook her head, grabbing her nightgown and peeling it off. She wasn't wearing anything under it.

"T-This is something I've always wanted to do with you," she admitted, her ears getting even darker. "B-But I was always afraid to ask, I-I thought you wouldn't go for it…"

She slipped off the bed, flicking her tail as she looked at me over her shoulder. I took in every inch of her gray and white fur, my sheath twitching as she focused that demure little stare on it.

"Please, Nick," she begged, clasping her paws by her shoulder. "I've been such a naughty little bunny, and I need a big, strong, scary fox to punish me…"

And that was it. One second, she was standing there, the next she was off, almost a blur as I chased after her, growling each time I pounced at her, barely catching myself when she darted away at the last second. She was giggling, shrieking at every near miss, squeaking when I managed to snag her tail before she hopped out of reach again. Every time she got away just made it harder for me to run; watching her naked ass and legs as she sprinted around just kept making me harder. Eventually, I managed to corner her, and figured it was finally time to become the predator she was asking for.

I got down on all fours, stalking slowly toward her. She froze before backing up, her nose twitching when I started chuckling. I trapped her against the wall, her eyes wide as I closed in on her. Even when she hit the wall, I kept coming, until there was less than an inch of space between us. Then I knelt and pressed my paws to either side of her head, my ears perking forward when I heard her heart race, her breath coming in soft little gasps. I licked my lips, flashing a smile that showed off every one of my teeth.

"Looks like I finally caught you, bunny," my voice was low, thick with the lust that coursed through me. "Now the only thing left to do is figure out just how to _eat you_."

Her heart rate picked up again, and I kept one ear trained on it as I leaned closer, dragging my tongue slowly along her shoulder before I bit down, just hard enough to make her bleed. She gasped, moaning as she squirmed under me; I lapped gently at the cuts, the primal part of me going even more crazy at the hot, sweet taste of her blood. But it wasn't telling me to hurt her, it was telling me to mate with her, to make sure everyone who saw her would instantly know she was mine.

" _Mine,_ " I ground the word out, pressing my nose into her neck, drawing in more of her scent with each breath. "You're mine, Judy, don't you ever forget that."

I bit down again, drawing a sharp cry from her.

"Oh, Nick, yes," she almost screamed it. "I-I'm yours, I'll always be yours!"

"Good," I pulled back, my eyes trailing over her face, then slowly along her body. The way the colors of her fur blended together, the white drawing attention to some of her best features: her big, sparkling eyes, those soft, delicious lips, her lithe waist and full hips. It tapered off when it reached her thighs, tightly clenched as she tried to hold herself up, her outer folds flushed and glistening from the need I stirred in her. I licked my lips, my claws digging into the wall as I bent down to nuzzle her, to drag my tongue along the edge before I pushed it inside, her heat clamping down as I grabbed her waist, getting to my feet and pinning her to the wall, all while tasting every sweet, pulsing inch of her I could reach.

She wrapped her arms around my head, her claws digging in as I went deeper, tracing her core as she ground her hips into my muzzle, her paws tightening in my fur when I started teasing her with my teeth, lightly grazing before biting down, and it wasn't long before she started tightening, her short, frantic gasps telling me just how close she was. A low growl as I bit her again was all it took, and I lapped up everything she had to offer, her body almost convulsing as she reached her peak.

"O-Oh, Nick… _o-oh,_ _god_!" her arms viced around my head before she went completely limp, trembling as she slowly came down from it. I took my time pulling out, wanting to enjoy her wet, pulsing heat for as long as I could. I licked my lips, making sure to get every last drop as I looked up at her, smirking when I saw her eyes were glazed behind heavy lids, her mouth hanging open as she drew in each breath. I gave her a few more seconds before I pulled her down, kissing her frantically. She returned it with everything she had left, which was more than I expected.

"I love you, Nick," she murmured, taking my snout in her paws. She kissed me again. "I love you so much!"

I smiled, getting down on my knees and holding her tightly to my chest. My heart was pounding just as fast as hers was.

"I love you too, Judy," I stroked her ears, flat against her back, as she pressed her face to my neck. "More than life itself."

She tilted her head back, catching my lips as she ground against me, her tongue darting into my mouth as she reached down to grab me.

"That was even more than I could've hoped for," she murmured when she ended it. Her lips curled in a sly little smile. "And now, it's time for me to return the favor."

She started stroking me, her claws grazing my length as her other paw teased the tip. My hips bucked, my teeth almost cracking as I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to just shove her to the floor and take her. Just when I'd reached my limit, she took her paws away and slid on to me, smiling again as she ran them down my chest.

"This big, scary fox violated me," she licked my neck, dragging her teeth along my shoulder before biting down, hard enough to draw blood. Then she ground against me as she licked at the wound. "It's only fair that I get to violate to him now."

Her eyes locked with mine again, her stare almost predatory.

"After all, he's just as much mine as I am his."

I groaned as she moved against me, then kissed her like crazy.

"Hell yeah, I am, Fluff," I licked her nose. "And don't you dare let me forget it."

She giggled, gasping as my claws sank into her ass.

"Never, Slick, never…"


	77. Chapter 77

_God, she's beautiful…_

I'd lost track of how long I'd been looking at her, curled up next to me, her nose twitching a bit as she slept. Rain had come out of nowhere in the middle of the night, and I'd woken up to it still splashing against the window. Everything about the case, all the shit we'd been through the past few months, was a hundred miles away, and for once, I couldn't bring myself to care much about it.

 _I could stay like this forever,_ I put a paw on her waist and brought her closer, licking the top of her head as she clung to me, her nose twitching faster as she started kicking. I rubbed her back, hoping it would at least help with whatever nightmare she was suddenly stuck in, but she just kept curling into a ball, gripping my fur so tightly I was starting to think she'd pull it out. But the sting from that was nothing compared to when she started talking, the smell of her tears hitting me like a freight train.

"Nick…" she was whimpering. "Nick, please, d-don't do this! Don't leave me, please!"

"Shh…" I draped my tail over her, my arms tightening around her. "It's okay, Fluff, I'm not going anywhere…I'm staying right here…"

That was apparently all it took to snap her out of it. She jerked away from me and bolted upright, burying her face in her paws as she kept sobbing.

"T-That can't happen…" she muttered. "I-It just _can't_!"

"And it won't," I sat up and put a paw on her shoulder. She tensed at my touch, melting into it as she turned to me, her eyes widening like she couldn't believe I was there. I tightened my grip. "I'm not going to leave you, Judy, no matter what happens."

She just stared at me, her face scrunching up as she threw herself at me, sobbing like I'd just pulled her out of some kind of death trap. As curious as I was about what could've got this reaction out of her, I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to ask. And I figured that, once she'd calmed down enough, she'd tell me anyway, or at least enough that I'd be able to figure it out for myself. For now, though, I just held her, offering what comfort I could. After a while, she stopped crying, pushing away from me and rubbing her eyes on her sleeve.

"God," she muttered. "Why won't that nightmare leave me alone?"

I put a paw on her shoulder, biting back a joke about how my fur was dry-clean only; now was not the time. My paw slid up to her cheek, tilting her head back as I smoothed her wet fur with my thumb.

"It must be pretty bad if it gets this reaction out of you," my ears went back. "I…heard you calling out for me in your sleep…"

She blushed.

"Oh…" she rubbed her eyes again. "I-I've had it since my apartment burnt down. We're trapped in it, and you use everything you have to make sure we get out. But, when we do, you…y-you…"

She almost started crying, but forced it back. I cupped her other cheek, leaning forward until my nose touched hers.

"I don't make it, do I?"

She shook her head, pulling away from me.

"I-I've never felt like that," she admitted. "L-Like I was losing everyone, everything important to me all at the same time…a-and there was nothing I could do about it!"

She threw herself back at me, burying her face in my neck, shaking as she took deep drags of my scent. I hugged her, my ears going flat against my head when I heard how fast her heart was going, at least twice its usual pace.

"You'll never have to worry about that, sweetheart," I murmured, nuzzling her head. "I'll always be right there when you need me, I promise."

She sniffled, then looked up at me, flashing a small, wet smile.

"I know that, Nick, believe me, i-it's just," she ran a paw down my chest, her half-perked ears falling flat against her back. "I-I'm just not used to feeling so…out of control, like one wrong move is all it'll take to lose everything I've worked so hard for. My job, my independence…"

She looked back up at me, her eyes shining with tears.

"You…" she couldn't blink them away this time. "I-I just don't want to-!"

"And you won't," I cut her off, taking her shoulders as my eyes locked with hers. "We're not going to leave you, Judy, no matter what happens. Once you become part of this pack, that's it, you're stuck with us for life."

She giggled a bit, then pushed me down and snuggled against me. She ran a paw down my chest again, her ears going pink.

"I've actually felt more at home with you guys than I have with my own family sometimes," she laid her head on my shoulder. "You're the only ones I know who've never judged me, or my dreams; I was starting to think mammals like you didn't exist anymore…"

She trailed off. I chuckled a bit, tracing a claw down her arm.

"We'd be a bunch of hypocrites if we did that," I put a paw behind my head, looking out the window as I talked. "We've all had mammals look down on us because of who we are, and what we want, so we decided that, we could either just let them all beat us down, or we could do everything we can to throw it back in their faces."

I smirked at her.

"I'm sure you can figure out which one we picked."

She giggled again, throwing an arm across my chest.

"I always thought you guys were so brave," she dragged her chin across my shoulder. "As much as I fought against mammals saying I couldn't be a cop, I couldn't get past what else they'd say about me, you heard some of that from Maywood yourself…"

I nodded.

"And from those two kids we caught at that farm, or one of them, at least," it was the first time I'd told her that. "He said bunnies were only good for farming and fucking, which is pretty close to what Tony always said about you guys when we were kids."

She hummed thoughtfully, her claws brushing over the scar from my heart surgery. I still couldn't believe there'd actually been something wrong with it, I'd just thought it was all in my head.

"What do you think Delilah's going to pull next?"

I sighed.

"I'd be lying if I said I had any clue," I started. "I don't even know the bitch anymore, I don't think I ever really did."

She pushed herself up, her eyes locking on mine.

"Why does she hate you so much?"

"I dumped her after I found out she'd been stealing from the band, and that she'd been screwing three other guys behind my back, at least," I sat up, holding her in my lap. "But what she seemed to be the most pissed about was being kicked out of the group, she could never get enough attention…"

I rolled my eyes, how the hell could I have been so stupid?

"I'm honestly not sure what I saw in her to start with, or what made me stay with her so long," I tilted Carrots' chin back. "But one thing I do know is she's not even half the mammal you are, and that I'm so glad you hopped your way into my life."

Her ears went pink. She tucked herself under my chin, groaning in embarrassment. I laughed.

"You're gonna have to get used to me saying that eventually, Fluff," I nuzzled the top of her head. "I'm not gonna stop just because you hide from me every time."

She groaned again, lifting her head and staring at me.

"You just want to tease me about being red in the ears," she complained. I smirked.

"You're only half-right there, Fluff," I put a paw on her cheek. "I really do think you're amazing, and I want to make sure you don't forget it, either."

Her ears got darker. She narrowed her eyes.

"As long as it's not just because you're trying to make my head as big as yours, Mr. Ego," she crossed her arms. "You're getting better, but calling you humble would still be a pretty big stretch."

I scoffed.

"How dare you," I put a paw to my chest. "I'm the most humble mammal I know!"

She snorted out a laugh.

"I'll be sure to let Paul and Mercy know, they both think you're just short of an egomaniac," she tapped her chin. "Come to think of it, so do Ed, Rocco, Leo, Trevor, Doc Muskrat, of course…"

"Okay, okay," I rolled my eyes. "I get the point, bunny, stop rubbing it in."

"And so does Jack, our sisters Amy, Violet, Teresa, Penelope, Kiara…I can keep going, if you want."

I groaned.

"No, you made your point, Fluff Butt, I gotta tone down the self-important act, I get it."

" _Do_ you?" she looked at me. I rolled my eyes again.

"Yes, Officer Hopps _,_ I'll try not to be so big-headed, at least sometimes."

She giggled, then hugged me.

"That's what I'm here for, Slick, I can help you keep it reined in!"

I just shook my head, even as I hugged her back.

"Just don't go overboard with it, alright, Carrots?"

She shrugged, tucking herself back against my chest.

"No promises, Slick, no promises."


	78. Chapter 78

It was still raining when I woke up again later, though it was more of a drizzle than anything else. Carrots was gone, and one look at the clock on my nightstand told me why: it was almost noon. I slid out of bed and grabbed my sweats from the floor, my ears flicking back when the door banged open.

"About time you got up, Slick!"

Carrots hopped on the bed and plopped down in front of me, licking her lips as she looked me up and down. That sly little grin on her face told me exactly what was going through her head.

"Don't even think about it, Fluff," I flicked my tail out of her reach and pulled on my sweats. "After last night, you're gonna have to pull something pretty big before I let you fuck me again."

She giggled.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" she pushed herself up and sat down. "You are almost twice my size, after all."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, but I don't have a bunny's sex drive, _and_ I hadn't slept in about two days, thanks to all the shit that's gone down."

Her smile faded.

"I know what you mean, Nick. First, my apartment gets bombed, then Fru ends up in the hospital, and it sounds like all of it's connected to your crazy ex coming back," she swallowed. "And then there's all the work we still have to put in to get Mercy and Paul ready for the police academy, we only have a couple weeks left until the next class starts."

"I know," I got down on the floor and started doing push-ups, grunting when she suddenly flopped across my back. "Geeze, give a guy some warning next time, will you?"

She giggled again, making sure I felt every inch of her as she shifted.

"Rule one of the police academy, sweetheart, always be on your toes," she scratched behind my ear. "You never know when a new problem might pop up."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and put her chin on my shoulder.

"You'd know that if you didn't keep shirking on training, you promised you'd do it with us!"

I rolled my eyes, flicking my tail across hers. At least with her lying on me like this, I was actually getting some kind of challenge.

"Sorry, Fluff, but I never _promised_ anything," I glanced back at her, smirking. "I just said I'd _try,_ and I haven't really had time to."

She huffed, wrapping her legs around my waist as she sat up.

"You've had time to play your guitar, write new songs and sit around on your laptop," she wasn't really ticked, I could hear it. "If you're able to laze around like that, then you have more than enough time to help me with Paul and Mercy!"

Groaning, I got to my knees, grabbing her and flipping her over my shoulder. She was stuck against my chest before she even knew what'd happened.

"It's not that easy, Carrots," I stared down at her. "You have no idea how pissed I am that I let Delilah get that close to you, and so far I haven't had any luck trying to find her. It doesn't help I still have a PI test coming up, and you nagging me about your cop training shit is not helping."

Her ears flushed red and dropped to her back. She reached up and brushed my cheek, and I realized just how small she was when I covered her paw with mine.

"I-I'm sorry, Nick, I didn't notice how caught up I'd gotten in it, I-I'm just so excited to get to work with them."

I sat down on the floor, tucking her in my lap.

"I know you are, Fluff, and I didn't mean to be so harsh on you," I took her paw off my face and held it. "I know how much you love your job, but lately it's been all you've thought about, it's like I've barely even existed."

Last night had been the first time we'd spent together in almost a month. I hadn't even noticed how much it actually bugged me until I'd thought about it then. If she hadn't been trying to sneak info on the case from her teammates, she'd been busy with Paul and Mercy, or off working with Trevor or someone else. She sighed, laying her head back on my shoulder.

"T-That's why I asked you to help me with them," she said quietly. "I-I knew how busy I'd be, and I thought it'd give us a chance to spend some time together. I never even considered the exam, or D-Delilah…"

She buried her face in my neck, and shivered. I tightened my hold on her, stroking her ears, it always worked to calm her down, as long as I kept my claws out of it.

"I'll find her before she has a chance to get to you again, Judy, I promise," I nuzzled the top of her head. "Then I'll make sure she never gets the chance to hurt you again."

She shivered again, then lifted her head to look at me.

"Y-You're going to kill her, aren't you?"

"I don't really have any choice, Fluff," I cupped her face in my paw. "It's the only way to keep her from coming after us again."

She swallowed, then nodded.

"I understand, I just wish there was another way…" her eyes dropped from mine. I leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"You and me both, I'm not the type of mammal that likes killing, not anymore," my tail flicked behind me, one of the ideas from last night popping back into my head. "And you know, I've been thinking, maybe after all this is over, we could, you know, do something big, to kinda celebrate getting through hell?"

She giggled, her first one since we'd sat down.

"What did you have in mind?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe a cruise or something? I think we deserve it after all this."

She laughed again.

"That sounds great, but I honestly don't care what we do," she snuggled against me. "As long as I'm with you, Nick, it'll be the most amazing thing ever."

"Ugh, get all sappy on me, why don't you?"

She jabbed me in the gut.

"You're the one who brought it up, Slick, don't start acting romantic if me thinking it's sweet makes you sick."

I chuckled.

"It doesn't, Fluff, I'm just not used to hearing it from you," I tilted her chin back. "But I wouldn't mind hearing it more often."

She looked at me.

"Again, isn't that supposed to be my line? When did you become the-"

She cut off at a loud crash downstairs, fear filling her eyes before she shot out of my lap and bolted to the door.

"What was that?!" she threw the door open and hit the hall. "Is everyone okay?!"

"We're good!" Trevor yelled. "Paul's just a klutz!"

"You're the one who dropped it, you moron!" Paul shouted. Carrots groaned.

"You guys are hopeless, now clean that up before Nick sees!"

She laughed when they started scrambling, coming back to the room and shutting the door behind her. She shook her head, smiling as she walked toward me.

"Those two," she curled back in my lap. "I didn't see what they were doing, but it's obviously something that would piss you off if you saw what happened."

I shook my head.

"They're probably just trying to move shit around again, some feng shui crap Trevor's into. I don't even try to stop them anymore, it doesn't work."

She giggled.

"As long as it keeps them out of trouble, I guess it's okay," she looked up at me, that sly smile back on her face. "Now, where were we before that…explosive interruption?"

I chuckled, then leaned in to kiss her.

"Right about here…"


	79. Chapter 79

"You're letting her get too close, Paul," I put a paw on Mercy's shoulder and pulled her back. "If you did that in a real fight, you'd be out before you could blink!"

I tried not to gag when the two of them just looked at each other, starry-eyed and giggling like a couple of kids. God, were Carrots and I ever that sappy? Rolling my eyes, I stepped between them, telling Mercy to park it so I could show them both how it was done.

"They'll show you a lot of moves in the academy," I took my favorite fighting stance: low to the ground, fists up, weight on my front foot so I was ready to move. "But in the real world, it's never gonna be that neat, and fighting clean's a good way to killed."

I smirked, launching myself at Paul while he was staring at Mercy, pinning him to the mat with his arms locked behind him in six seconds flat. He growled, me and Mercy cracking up when he couldn't squirm his way out of my hold. I grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, swiping a claw across his throat.

"You're dead, Short Tail!"

"Ack, no!" he started convulsing, almost managing to throw me off. "Blood, blood, blood! And…death!"

He flopped down, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he rolled his eyes back. Mercy and I just stared at him before cracking up again.

"You've been hanging around Judy too long," she started laughing again as I got off him, still chuckling.

"Though I have to say, you're a lot better at that than she is," I helped him up, only for something wet to sock me in the back of the head. "Ow! What was that?"

I looked down and saw a bunny-sized towel on the floor, Carrots smirking as she came up and grabbed it.

"You really thought I wouldn't hear that, Slick?"

"I don't remember whispering it, Fluff," I stuck my paws in my pockets. "Where've you been?"

She sighed.

"I think Trevor caught the flu bug Zariah and Yumiko have had the past week, I just had to clean up around the toilet because he missed."

I stared down at the towel she'd just beamed me with. She shook her head.

"Don't worry, I just used that one to wipe off the mirror when it got steamed up, I've got him sitting in an improvised sauna right now, hopefully it'll help clear him out," she swiped it off the floor. "What's going on in here?"

I chuckled, pointing over my shoulder.

"Paul here was just showing us the acting skills he picked up, after getting pinned by something half his size."

Paul stuck out his tongue.

"I didn't grow up having to fight to keep my tail alive, doesn't help mom and dad would never let me do anything," he plopped on the floor and crossed his arms. "Of course I suck at this!"

"It doesn't help that you can't stay focused, that was always your biggest problem," I went over and sat in front of him. "I'm pretty sure they help you with that, but it'd be better if you could…"

I trailed off, shaking my head when I realized he wasn't even listening to me. He was staring at Mercy again, and she was doing everything she could short of stripping to keep his attention. I groaned.

"You know you two won't be allowed to be partners, right?"

They stopped, staring at each other before turning to me.

"B-But we work best together," she argued, looking like she was about to cry. "T-They can't split us up!"

I shrugged.

"They won't have a choice if they catch you two making moon eyes at each other," this time, I did gag. "And you'll probably be kicked out of the academy if they catch you guys together like that."

They focused on Carrots, who just shook her head.

"It's true, they're really strict about it: absolutely no fraternization between cadets, it leads to too many distractions. Breaking that _will_ get you both in a lot of trouble, if not expelled," she glanced at me. "It's not quite _as_ strict once you're graduated and assigned to your precincts, but if you expect to be partners, you'll have to keep your relationship _completely_ out of it, otherwise they'll split you guys up."

She dropped the towel on the mat and came to sit next to me.

"And I much as I love the fact you guys are so happy together, I'm worried you won't be able to keep it a secret, or at least keep it on the DL enough that you won't get reprimanded," she smoothed a paw over her ears. "There's also still the option of one of you joining Nick and Trevor's PI team, no one would care then."

Paul and Mercy looked at each other, then shook their heads.

"No, we've already decided we're both going to be cops," Mercy turned back to us. "We both want to work with you at Precinct One, Judy, to show that preds and prey _can_ get along without a problem."

"It'd be even better if you joined, Nick," Paul said to me. "Foxes are treated the worst out of almost all preds. Who knows how much would change if one ended up at…"

I shook my head.

"I've already thought about it," I told him. "And it wouldn't work. I've got too much shit in my past, and I don't think the world's ready for a fox cop, not yet. Besides, you all know I could never do all that case report shit, I'd be too busy just trying to stay awake."

We laughed, even as Carrots whacked me in the arm.

"As nice as I think you'd look in uniform, Slick, it _is_ pretty hard to see you doing anything other than chasing down perps and breaking up fights, if you weren't getting in them, that is," she giggled. "And sadly that's not even half the job. Cop work's nowhere near as exciting as movies and TV make it out to be."

"Of course it's not," I sat back on my paws. "If they showed how boring it really is, no one would want to do it!"

Carrots rolled her eyes and socked me again. I chuckled.

"Okay, okay, _almost_ no one," I smirked at her. "Happy now?"

She scoffed.

"Forget it, I have to check on Trevor anyway," she got up, her head just about level with mine, for once. "Think you can handle training these two a bit longer? We don't have much time until the academy starts."

I nodded, getting to my feet.

"I think I can do that, but I'm not sure if _they_ can," I nodded toward Paul and Mercy, who were already lost in each other again. "If I have to keep seeing them like that, I'm gonna hurl."

She giggled, then jumped up and kissed my cheek.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't look at you like that sometimes, and I _know_ you look at me like that," she smirked up at me. "Don't think I haven't noticed, Slick."

"That's different, we're subtle about it," I glanced at them again. "And they don't seem to have a clue what that means."

She giggled again, then grabbed my collar and pulled me down.

"And I plan to show you just how _not_ subtle I can be tonight," she leaned in, stopping just short of kissing me. "Sound like fun, Slick?"

My tail went straight out behind me as she licked my nose, stepped back and turned away, her tail flicking with ever over-the-top sway of her hips.

 _Looks like I taught her a little_ too _well,_ I cleared my throat, smoothing out my shirt as I straightened. _She's just freaking_ evil _now._

I bit my lip as my mind flashed forward to tonight, my only other thought being that I was never more grateful for whoever invented baggy shorts. I groaned, low enough that Paul and Mercy wouldn't hear it.

 _You are_ so _gonna be the death of me, Fluff…_


	80. Chapter 80

_"_ _You could be the corpse and I could be the killer."_

 _That was the only way I could think of her now, and even that wasn't enough. How the hell could I have been so stupid?_

 _"_ _You pollute the room with a filthy tongue, watch me choke it down so I can throw it up!"_

 _It had been way too easy to come up with that line, and really the whole song. And I knew it was a bad idea to release it right after I'd kicked her ass out, of the band and my life, but the sooner I got it out, the sooner I could forget she existed. And less chance I'd try to go back out and hunt her down, her and every miserable little pelt she fucked behind my back._

 _"_ _Don't mind us, we're just spilling our guts, if this is love I don't wanna be loved!"_

 _I didn't really have any clue what it was supposed to be, but if her twisted idea was really 'the best it could get', then maybe I_ was _better off without it. At least then there'd be one less way for everything good I did to be thrown back in my face, one less way for me to get hurt._

 _"_ _If this is love I don't wanna be hanging by the neck before an audience of death!"_

 _I'd lost count of how many times I'd felt like doing that, even before I'd started getting serious with her. It was just an urge in the back of my mind that never really went away. But at least I'd always had my_ real _friends around to back me up, even when I'd felt like shit and ended up treating them like it. I let the last cord fade out, then looked behind me to see them smiling, and I couldn't help but smile back._

 _"_ _Feeling better?" Trevor stepped out from behind his kit, pulling off the headphones he wore to help cut down on the sound. I took off my guitar and leaned it against the amp, turning it off before going to sit on the edge of the stage. It was our last day to rehearse before our next show, so right now we were performing to an empty stadium. I shrugged._

 _"_ _Good as I can be, I guess," I tucked my paws under me to keep from biting my claws, a nervous habit I'd picked up from Mercy, and one that sure didn't help me play. I sighed. "I just wish I…I don't know…"_

 _I shook my head, my tail thumping against the stage before I tucked it in my lap. Paul put his bass on its stand, then came and sat next to me._

 _"_ _If it helps, I still can't believe she really pulled that crap, either," she scratched his ear, it'd gotten snagged on a wire when he'd helped set up the lights. "The cheating's one thing, but I never thought she'd steal from the band!"_

 _"_ _Me either," Mercy sat on the other side of me, a little closer than usual. "I mean, I always knew she was high-maintenance, but-"_

 _"_ _Look guys, can we just…_ not _talk about her?" I got up and crossed my arms. "I'm trying to get the bitch_ out _of my head, in case you didn't notice."_

 _Paul winced, rubbing the back of his neck._

 _"_ _Sorry man, I never realized how much we brought her up."_

 _"_ _We just think it'll be better if you talk about it," Mercy turned to me, tucking one leg under her. I scoffed._

 _"_ _What's there to talk about? I fell for her act, and she cheated on me and stole from us, so I broke it off and kicked her ass out, end of story."_

 _I grabbed my guitar, unplugged it and shoved it in its case, zipping it up and slinging the strap across my chest. There was still more to it, but I was the only one left who knew that. I'd been hanging out with Savage when I'd caught_ her _with some other guys, and it hadn't taken long to figure out everything she'd told me had been one big fat fucking lie. She hadn't even tried to deny it, cracking up when I'd confronted her, and then her little pack had ganged up on me. And big baby that I am, I'd just laid there and taken it, all while she'd insulted me right to my face. But then she'd said something, something she'd sworn she'd never repeat, and I'd freaking lost it. My ISS had taken over, and the only thing that had snapped me out of it had been Savage screaming at me, to stop before I killed someone. I hadn't noticed until then that I had one of their necks in my mouth, or that I'd bitten down hard enough to break the skin. And it wasn't even the first time I tasted blood._

 _I spat the guy out, grabbed the bag she'd dropped and took off. She'd hightailed it, and Savage had cut out the next morning. He didn't trust me anymore, and I couldn't blame him. It'd been the last time I'd seen either of them._

At least, until now. Savage still didn't trust me completely, and Delilah had bombed Carrots' old apartment, all so she could leave me some kind of twisted message. And the worst part was I still had no idea what she planned to do.

"But anything you say will only fuel my lungs," Carrots swept around the corner, jumping back when she bumped into me.

"Geeze, Nick, don't do that!"

I laughed.

"You were the one coming down the hall with your eyes closed," I glanced down at her phone, the screen showing her iTooth app. Sarcasm was still one of our most popular singles, even if the album as a whole hadn't done too well. But that wasn't what caught my attention. Right below it was another name I knew, but I wasn't sure if it was the song I was thinking of. "Uh, where'd you get that?"

"Huh?" she looked at the screen, her ears going red. "Oh, uh, Trevor gave it to me last night, and I listened to it during my…"

She trailed off, looking up at me.

"I've never heard you play acoustic before."

I groaned, rubbing a paw over my eyes.

"Damn it, Trevor…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just," I groaned again. "I wrote that after we had that… _misunderstanding_ last year, but we were able to talk it out before I could do anything else with it. I wasn't even sure you'd like it…"

"Oh, Nick," she hugged me, nuzzling into my chest. "You're so sweet, and of course I like it."

She tilted her head back, her chin sinking into my fur.

"I'm just about as stubborn as you are, so any fights we have are gonna be half my fault, anyway," she pouted. "But I don't have any romantic ways of apologizing like you do, so not fair!"

I chuckled, tapping her nose with a claw.

"You're a smart bun, Fluff, I'm sure you could think of something," I brushed a paw down her ears. "And sorry I couldn't go with you to see Paul and Mercy off."

They'd caught the bus to the academy this morning, after Carrots had dropped them off at the precinct. That bug Trevor had caught was still sticking around, and since his parents had found out he was gay, something even Paul hadn't picked up on, they hadn't wanted much to do with him. She shrugged.

"Don't worry, they understood," she pulled back. "How's he doing?"

"Better, he's stopped puking, at least," I put my paws on my hips. "His fever still hasn't gone down, though, I'm getting worried."

"You and me both," she brought up her phone and started typing something. "I was gonna run some errands after a quick shower, I'll see if I can find him something, and hopefully it'll actually work this time."

That was a weird side effect from the Night Howler crap he'd been hit with: certain meds didn't have much effect on some of the mammals who'd been exposed, but they still hadn't been able to figure out why. It'd be a hell of a lot easier if he didn't hate hospitals so much, but I guess I couldn't really blame him there.

"Remind me again why we can't just ask Rocco or one of your other guards to help get him to the ER?" she looked at me skeptically. I shook my head.

"Because when I tried that a few days ago, he almost took Leo's nose off," I sighed. "And now no one else will go near him."

She cringed, and I knew she was thinking about the cuts she'd seen across Leo's snout, the fact he'd been jumpy whenever Trevor, or even just Ed or Rocco got close to him. What she said next though really threw me for a loop.

"How about I hit him with a tranq, and we just take him in then?"

I stared at her, my paws dropping to my sides.

"Because that's completely unethical, and kinda twisted," I narrowed my eyes. "What made you think I would even _consider_ that?"

She bit her lip, her ears falling behind her back.

"I know it's a bad idea, and I'm sorry I even thought of it, I'm just worried about him."

"I am, too," I put a paw on her shoulder. "But forcing him to go would just make things worse, and I really don't want to add another name to my 'mammals who hate my guts' list."

She giggled a bit, just what I'd been going for.

"You're right, if he does go in, it'll have to be his choice," she stood on her toes and kissed my chin. "I'll just get my shower out of the way, then see if I can find him anything, I might even get a few different meds we haven't tried yet."

She pulled away and stepped around me, heading to her room. She didn't really sleep there much anymore, but she still liked the thought of having her own space, and with all the stuffed animals she kept on her bed, it's not like I was complaining. Just before she was out of reach, I grabbed her paw and drew her back, kissing her like I'd never another chance to. She clung to me, looking completely dazed when I ended it.

"W-Wow…" she dragged in a breath, her eyes still slits. "W-What was _that_ for, Slick?"

"Nothing," I smiled, tapping her nose with mine. "Just felt like it."

She moaned, then shot up and kissed me again.

"You should 'just feel like it' more often then," she panted. "If _that's_ what comes out of it."

I chuckled, dragging my cheek across hers.

"I'll keep that in mind, sweetheart," I licked her nose, then let her go, my tail flicking at the extra sway she put in her hips. She looked over her shoulder, running a paw slowly down her side as she flashed a coy smile.

"I might even have an extra treat for you when I get back, sweetheart," she blew a kiss, then turned back around. "See you soon!"

* * *

 _Sarcasm is by a band by Get Scared. I haven't listened to much else by them, but I think it fits pretty well._


	81. Chapter 81

It was going on five when I got the call, just after I'd given Trevor something to help him sleep; I didn't even get a chance to talk before Carrots cut me off.

 _"_ _Oh, Nick, thank god,"_ she was sniffling, her voice echoing a bit. _"I…I need you…"_

I hightailed it downstairs and grabbed my keys from the rack by the door.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

 _"_ _I…I don't know…I just…"_ she sniffed again. _"I-I just need you, I'm at the precinct…"_

That was all I needed to hear.

"I'll be right there, just hold on, okay?"

She hiccuped, and a soft rustling told me she'd nodded.

 _"_ _Y-Yeah, okay…and Nick?"_

I stopped outside the security hub, really just an old closet I'd extended a bit.

"Yeah, Fluff?"

 _"_ _I…I love you…"_

I swallowed, my tail twitching behind me. As if I weren't worried enough already.

"I love you, too, sweetheart. I'll be there soon."

I hung up and shoved my phone in my pocket, looking inside to see Ed and Rocco sitting at the desk that lined most of the room, glancing between the monitors on the walls; I'd given Leo a few days off after Trevor had clocked him. As usual, nothing looked wrong, but now that was exactly what worried me.

"I have to go to the precinct," I didn't wait for one of them to turn around. "And I just gave Trevor his meds, could one of you keep an eye on him for a bit?"

"I got it," Ed pushed back from the desk. "If I stare at those things anymore, I'll be stuck cross-eyed."

He chuckled when Rocco shoved him, but it didn't last long.

"Wait, why do you have to go the precinct?" he looked down at me. "That test's not for another month, isn't it?"

"Two, actually," I rubbed the back of my neck. "Carrots just called me, said that's where she was and that she needed me."

"Is she okay?" Rocco didn't turn from the monitors, resting his chin on his paws. I shook my head.

"She sounded pretty freaked, and I'd be lying if I said I knew what could scare her like that," I glanced at my watch. "I better get going, it takes a while to get to Downtown from here."

"I'll keep an eye on Trevor, as long as he's still asleep," Ed followed me out. He shivered. "I still can't get over what he did to Leo."

I sighed, rubbing a paw over my eyes.

"You and me both," I let my paw drop. "I shouldn't have asked you guys to help take him in, anyway."

He groaned.

"Don't start with that again, Wilde, we're all getting sick of it," he shoved me toward the door. "Now go take care of your bunny."

I narrowed my eyes, then walked out, locking the door behind me. The sun was starting to set when I finally got to the precinct, and one look around the lobby told me almost everything I needed to know.

"Nick!" Spots waved me over, his face about as far from that crazy-happy smile as it could get. It took me a second to spot the purple lump on his desk, curled up against a snow globe about the same size. It moved when he called me, Carrots peeking out from under a giant handkerchief. Her eyes were red, her face fur matted from tears. I didn't bother to ask before jumping to catch the edge, Judy throwing herself at me almost before I'd finished climbing up.

"Oh, Nick…" she clung to me, sobbing into my chest. I sat down, holding her in my lap, nuzzling the top of her head.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I murmured, stroking her limp ears. "I'm here for you, it's okay…"

I looked at Spots as she kept crying, who had his paws pressed to his mouth, his eyes wet.

"What happened?" it came out harsher than I'd wanted. He shook his head.

"I-I don't really know," he looked at Judy. "W-Wolfard just came in with her about an hour ago, and I wasn't able to get two words out of her. She didn't even come out from Fangmeyer's handkerchief when she called you."

I focused back on the bunny in my arms, who finally seemed to be calming down. She sniffled, rooting through the fur on my neck, her paws clenching on my shirt.

"I-I was ambushed," she started quietly. "I-I'd just finished shopping when a…a group of bucks surrounded me."

She swallowed.

"T-They were just kits, a-and there were so many of them, I couldn't…" she buried her face in my neck again, her next breath a shudder. "I-I didn't have time to react before they grabbed me, and s-slammed me against the wall…"

My arms tightened around her, a snarl pulling at my lips.

"What did they do to you?"

"They…t-they ripped everything away from me, t-threw it on the ground," she curled up further. "Then they started…shouting at me, saying I was a disgrace to bunnies everywhere, b-because I was with a fox."

She finally looked up at me.

"I-It got even worse when one of them said it was y-you," she went on. "T-The buck in front of me, I think he was their leader, s-said there was a special place in hell for girls like me, w-who gave myself to that 'miserable piece of shit'…h-he got closer…"

I tensed, fighting the need to hunt this buck down and show him what a real piece of shit looked like. I knew if I did, I'd be proving him right, just like I had with Delilah, and that was one mistake I would never make again.

"A-And started punching me, everywhere," she shuddered again. "I-I don't even want to think how far it would've gone if Kyle and Maria h-hadn't showed up…"

I held her closer as she broke down, still trying to keep my temper in check. It wouldn't help anyone if I lost it now. Eventually, I reined it in enough that I was able to ignore it, barely.

"What happened to those bucks?" I asked Spots. "Where are they?"

He shook his head.

"Most of them were arrested, but I'm not telling you where they are. I know how protective you are of Judy, and I _don't_ want to be responsible for their injuries," he glanced down at her. "And the last thing you two need right now is a fox-on-bunny fight getting in the news…again."

I cringed, running a paw over where Wyatt had nailed me with that taser. I still had no idea who'd been holding the camera, but part of that whole mess had ended up on ZNN, just enough to make it look like I'd lost my mind and attacked an innocent bunny, even if he had proven to be a complete nut that same day. I focused on Carrots again, my heart just about freezing as I waited for her to say she couldn't take it anymore, that being together wasn't worth all the shit she'd been going through. Hell, I was on the verge of telling her that myself, I'd do anything if it meant making her life easier, no matter how it made me feel.

And she could apparently read my mind, because as soon as I finished thinking that, she thumped me in the chest.

"Y-You should know by now that I'm too stubborn to quit, Nick," she lifted her head from my shoulder, focusing on me for the first time since I'd gotten here. "And that I hate letting prejudice win. I'm not going to leave you because some mammals don't like interspecies couples. They'll just have to learn to deal with it."

It took a lot to hide just how happy that made me, I settled for hugging her and letting my tail wag half as fast as it wanted to. She giggled.

"You're adorable, Slick, you know that?"

"Hey, not so loud!" I glanced around before smirking at her. "I don't want anyone else knowing that, I've got a reputation to maintain!"

She laughed.

"You have a reputation?"

"Oooh," Spots giggled. "You tell him, Judy!"

I groaned, pushed her off my lap and jumped to the floor, keeping my back to them, and it was a good thing I did.

"Wolfard, behind you!"

"What?" he turned, throwing himself to the floor as the window he'd been leaning on shattered. The polar bear on the other side opened fire, spraying the lobby with lead before his uzi clicked empty, and he threw it down, almost falling into the van that barely bothered to stop at the bottom of the steps, the tires squealing as it peeled away. Leaning over the glass on the floor, Pennington grabbed him with her trunk, wincing as she pressed a hoof to her arm.

"Good thing it was only bear-sized," she set him down, his legs giving out. "Still smarts, though."

"Anyone else hit?" I looked around, sighing in relief when most of them shook their heads, and at least with the mammals who had been hit, it hadn't been anywhere vital.

"I just radioed for medical backup," Spots gulped, and we watched as everyone else either started securing the scene or helping the mammals who'd gotten nailed. "W-What do you think that was all about, Nick?"

"I don't know," I climbed back on his desk, Carrots having run off to help the others. "But since it happened barely an hour after Carrots was attacked, I've got a feeling it wasn't random."

He nodded.

"A-And the Chief's not here right now, either," he pressed his paws to his cheeks. "He's meeting with the mayor at City Hall."

"That explains why Buffalo Butt didn't come running," I scratched the back of my neck, my tail frizzing as something started biting at me. "Hey, Spots, is there any way I can look at the security footage? I feel like I missed something."

"Sure," he typed something into his laptop, then turned it toward me. The screen alone was almost as tall as I was, but that would just make it easier.

"Thanks," it took a minute to find the one I wanted, just to the left of the front door. I rewound to a few seconds after the window had shattered, then hit pause. A few more clicks was all it took to clear the grainy image up, and what I saw had me jumping back on my tail, almost falling off the desk.

" _No…_ "

Standing outside, a wide smile on his face as he tried to gun down the ZPD, was one of my security team, a mammal I'd trusted with my life for almost six years.

" _Max…_ "


	82. Chapter 82

_All the shit that's gone down the past year, and I_ still _didn't see this coming…_

I growled, glaring at the picture on the screen. Max and Jeremy had pretty much gone up in smoke during that whole savage mammals thing, and this was the first I'd seen of either of them since. I shoved the laptop back toward Spots, my claws cutting into my paw pad as I tried to force myself to chill. Being pissed off at Max could wait, right now I had to focus on finding where he'd gone and who the hell he was working for, not that it took much to figure that last part out.

"The mammal that hired him is the same one who hired Wyatt," I looked up at him. "Count on it."

"Hired who?" Carrots hopped up on the desk, grabbing that giant handkerchief and wrapping herself in it again.

"Remember when Max and Jeremy cut out during the savage mammals case?" I pointed to Spots' laptop, that picture still taking up the screen. "Max shooting up the precinct an hour or so after you were attacked is just way too much of a coincidence, they were organized by the same mammal."

"Okay," she sounded unsure, and I really couldn't blame her. The most I had to go on right now was a gut feeling, and I was hoping it was one of those few times it was dead wrong. "If that is true, why would they do all that? What's their end goal?"

I shook my head.

"I'll be honest, I haven't thought that far yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if something else ended up going down in the next day or two."

I watched as she curled deeper into the handkerchief, her nose starting to twitch like crazy. It looked pale, now that I thought about it, her eyes kinda glazed and unfocused. I reached over and felt her forehead, my jaw tightening when I felt how warm it was.

"When were you gonna tell me you had a fever?"

She glared at me.

"Never, if I could help it. I don't have time to be off work, especially with _what just happened_ ," she jerked her head toward the broken window. "We're gonna need all paws and hooves on deck if we want to find Max before he kills someone."

"Then let me take care of it, Carrots," I took her shoulders. "I probably know Max better than anyone in this place, and we both know whoever's really behind this has been after me the whole time."

I pulled back when she kept scowling.

"So what better way to draw them out than make myself the center of attention?"

She didn't answer, her glare just getting worse, until it finally dropped off her face with an annoyed huff.

"Fine, I guess doing it your way is our best bet, but I'll have to go over it with Bogo when he gets back. He's already bent _a lot_ of rules where you're concerned, Nick," she went on, starting to sound rough. "You're not a cop, you're not an agent, you don't even have your PI badge yet. You shouldn't have even gotten involved with the missing mammals case in the first place."

"You're right about all that," I ran a paw through my hair. "But you might not have found any of them without me, or figured out what was making them go savage, or it all would've taken even longer than it did. Official or not, you can't say I haven't been useful so far."

She groaned.

"Of course you have, Slick, but that's not the point here," she pushed the cloth off her head, her ears springing up. "The point is, until you take that exam and pass it, you're still just a civilian, and I shouldn't have agreed to let you be part of the original investigation, especially now that we know you've been the perp's real focus from the start."

"And wouldn't they get suspicious if you suddenly just offered yourself up like that?" Spots cut in. "They could just as easily go underground as they could come after you."

For some reason, I'd never expected him to think like that, but it did make sense, as much as it bugged me.

"You're right, and since we still don't know who we're dealing with, that'd probably be all it took to completely lose them," I rubbed the spot where Wyatt had tased me again, then sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, it looks like we'll just have to wait for them to make their next move, and hope we can follow them to whatever hole they're using as an HQ."

But who knew just how long that would take? In a twisted way, part of me didn't really care about that, since this whole thing had forced me to face issues I thought I'd buried years ago. It had also healed a lot of scars, some of which I'd almost forgotten I had; I'd actually started feeling hopeful again, like we really did have a chance to change things. And thanks to all that, and a certain little bunny, I was happier than I'd been in a long time, and I wasn't about to give it up without a fight.

"Hey, Wilde!"

I turned to Wolfard, who looked about as sheepish as a wolf could get without sprouting wool. I sat on the edge of the desk, crossing my arms loosely at my chest.

"What's up?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, his ears bright pink as they went flat against his head.

"Could I, uh, talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

"Oh, uh, okay," I glanced back at Spots and Carrots, who waved me on. I shrugged, then dropped to the floor. "Lead the way, I guess."

We headed to the bull pin, empty at this time of day. He shut the door and leaned against it, still not looking directly at me. My tail started flicking as the silence dragged on, and I was just about to ask what was wrong when he finally started talking.

"Listen, Nick, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for giving you the cold shoulder like I have," he stared at the ceiling, rubbing his neck again. "Truth is, I was jealous, because I've had a crush on Judy for a while and I was planning to ask her out, until you guys made your big announcement during that little press conference at her parents' place."

He took a deep breath, his eyes locking on mine as he held out his paw.

"I'm sorry for acting like such a cub, Nick," he smiled a bit. "And I think you two are perfect for each other."

"Thanks, man," I took his paw and shook it. "That means a lot, and I think so, too."

He chuckled, his grip tightening when I tried to pull back. He leaned over me, his teeth flashing.

"But just know that if you ever hurt her, I'll give it to you ten-fold."

I narrowed my eyes, grabbing his wrist and twisting my paw out of his grip, giving my own hard smile when he gasped in pain.

"And that goes double for me, tough guy," I let go, then moved past him and pushed the door open. I looked back at him. "But we both know Carrots could kick our asses without trying, and I'm sure that's exactly what she'd do if she ever caught us fighting over her."

He laughed.

"Ain't that the truth."

* * *

It was already dark when Carrots and I headed back to my place. She'd wanted to stay even longer, but even Spots had noticed how much she'd been starting to shake, and I wondered how I'd managed to miss it.

 _She's probably been taking the meds that didn't work for Trevor._

It wouldn't surprise me if that were the case. If there was one thing that bunny was obsessed with, it was her job. She could barely get through a day off without going on about the cases she was going to solve, or all the kits and cubs she was going to inspire when she talked at schools. As much as I loved her dedication, it felt almost like I was just second fiddle at times, not that I'd ever say that to her face. She was happy, and that was all I needed.

"So, what did Greg want to talk to you about?"

I blinked, when had we gotten to the mansion?

"We've been sitting here for about five minutes, Slick," Carrots smirked at me. "So are you gonna tell me what you and Greg talked about?"

Greg? Must be Wolfard's first name.

"He just explained why he's been ignoring me the last few months," I cut the engine and leaned back in my seat. "Turned out he had it bad for you and was upset I got to you first."

She blushed.

"You mean he was…jealous? Wow…" she messed with one of her ears. I looked at her.

"Don't tell me that's never happened before."

"I-If it did, I never noticed," she bit her lip, bringing her knees to her chest. "I was always too busy training or studying, and like I said, the few times I did try never lasted long."

She sighed, letting her paws drop in her lap.

"You probably don't care, but I've never been considered attractive by bunny standards," she flicked her ears forward, so they hung in her face. "I was too short until I hit puberty, then I was too tall, and thanks to the fitness program I follow, I'm too lean and muscular. Then there's the fact I keep my fur as short as I can without looking like I'm going bald, I'm basically the polar opposite of what a rabbit doe should be."

She threw her head down, burying her face in her arms. I reached over and traced her cheek, until I could tilt her chin back.

"'Should' be, or 'can' be, Fluff? You know all that stuff's objective," I unbuckled, then leaned closer and kissed her. "And I think you're the most beautiful mammal I've ever laid eyes on."

She stared blankly at me, then pulled her chin from my grip.

"You're just saying that…"

"No, I'm not," I took her paw when she tried to leave. I smiled. "But if it makes you feel any better, you just listed a lot of traits we foxes find attractive, all you're really missing is a 'long, fluffy tail', as I've heard you describe it."

She giggled, curling up in my lap when I tugged her closer.

"And it's your personality that's most important to me, anyway," I planted my chin on top of her head. "I said before that you could be any species, and I'd feel the same way I do about you as a bunny."

I caught her shy face in the rearview mirror. She snuggled closer to me, taking my wrists and wrapping my arms around herself.

"You have a lot of those qualities too, Nick, I'm surprised I don't have to drag vixens off you by their tails."

I couldn't stop myself from laughing at that image, but she just sighed.

"I know I've said it before, and I'm probably gonna say it again at some point," she nuzzled my chin. "But I can't seem to stop thinking you'll get tired of my baggage one day and leave me."

I nuzzled between her ears.

"You're not the only one with baggage, Judy," I started. "You've seen me at my very worst, and you're still with me. I wouldn't leave you if my life depended on it."

She pulled away and stood up, facing me.

"You promise that, Nick?"

I smiled, cupped her cheek, and kissed her.

"Of course I do, Judy, one hundred percent."

I kissed her again, holding her close.

"Promise."


	83. Chapter 83

Hearing her crying was the last thing I'd expected that night. It was about two in the morning and I'd gotten up to hit the bathroom, thinking the place was kinda creepy when it was dark and empty like this. It didn't help all the hallways were about six times my height, so even the smallest sounds tended to echo a bit. That was how I caught her sniffling in the first place, and when I peeked in the room she was curled up with her face buried in her arms; even from the hall I could tell she was shaking.

"Judy?" I slipped inside, shutting the door behind me. She didn't respond at all, so I padded over and climbed in next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "You alright, sweetheart?"

She sniffled again, looking up when I started rubbing her arm with my thumb. Her eyes went wide, then her face scrunched up as another wave of tears hit, and she threw herself into my chest, grabbing my fur and holding on for dear life.

"Oh, Nick…" she shuddered as I hugged her, then hiccuped. "Y-You're alive…"

"What do you mean?" I tilted her chin back, cupping her cheek. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She leaned into my paw when I wiped one of her tears, then sighed a bit.

"I-It was late, just like now, and some noise woke me up," she swallowed. "I-I reached over for you, and you were…you were…"

She broke down again, and I pulled her into my lap, waiting until she was ready to talk.

"Y-You were cold," she said at last. "Ice cold, and when I felt for a pulse…"

She just shook her head, burying her face in my shoulder. I took her paw and put it on the scars on my chest, so she could feel my heart beating under them.

"I don't plan on that stopping any time soon, Fluff," I told her. "And even when it does, I'll still be with you, it'll just be in a different way."

She looked so broken when she stared up at me then, but I could see something else there, that drive she put behind everything she did, that made her the amazing mammal she was. She curled her fingers closer into mine.

"Looks like I'll just have to do whatever I can to keep you alive, then," she looked down at our paws. "I don't think I could live without you, Nick…"

I froze, and for a minute or two, I couldn't get my brain to work. When it finally kicked in again, I pulled her against me, hugging her tightly, and she held me right back.

"You might have to someday, Judy," I nuzzled her ear, hanging limp by my nose. "Just like I might have to live without you, because no matter how much we want to, there are some things we just can't stop."

I pulled her back enough to see her face.

"But like I said, I don't plan on dying any time soon, and you know how stubborn I can be."

She giggled, then rooted through the fur on my neck.

"You're not gonna be putting me in the ground any time soon, either, Slick, and even then you better plan on me fighting."

I chuckled, then leaned in and kissed her, pushing her back until I stood over her on my paws and knees. She grabbed my shoulders, wrapping her legs around my waist. I hooked a paw under her, nuzzling and licking her before I kissed her again, sucking in a breath when she bit my lip; then she trailed lower, her teeth sinking into my neck.

"God, Judy…" I groaned, letting myself slip down until I was right on top of her. "What are you doing to me?"

She giggled, dragging her paw through my chest fur.

"Nothing you don't want me to, sweetheart," she pushed at the sweats I'd pulled on with her feet, her back arching when I reached beneath her to grab her tail. She let out a shaky little gasp, her claws dragging against my skin as her paws twitched and clenched. "And I know you'll never do something I don't want, sweetheart…"

I flashed a grin that showed all my teeth.

"You know it, Fluff."

* * *

Her side of the bed was empty when I reached over. It was just past dawn, and going by how warm it still was, she hadn't been gone long. I looked around, seeing my shirt from yesterday was gone too, and that everything but my sweats had been tossed in the basket she'd put by my dresser. I grabbed them and pulled them on, keeping my ears perked for any sound, but it was completely silent except for the wind outside and Trevor's snoring down the hall. His fever had finally broken yesterday afternoon, and now he just seemed to be sleeping the rest of it off; he'd only been up for about ten or fifteen minutes total since.

"Carrots?" I went to the hall, shivering a bit when the silence hit me again. It didn't help that I could barely smell her over everything else; I'd never noticed how weak her scent was compared to a pred's, but then I'd hardly ever been away from her since she'd moved in here. The stairs had always creaked, and usually I didn't care, but now every step set me more on edge; if there was someone around that shouldn't be, I had no chance of sneaking up on them now. "Judy?"

I froze at some shuffling, turning to the door just past the staircase. It wasn't a big room, just where all of us kept our instruments when we weren't using them, it was great for recording demos, too. My tail puffed as I let my nerves get to me; she hadn't shown much interest since Paul had first showed it to her, so why would she be in there at five in the morning?

 _She probably just couldn't sleep,_ I told myself, my hackles raising as I got closer. I started growling when I picked up the smell of blood. I threw the door open, feeling like I'd been gut punched when I saw her lying in the middle of the room, a fresh cut on the back of her head between her ears, her whole body limp as a rag doll.

"Judy…" I ran over to her, dropping to my knees and brushing a paw against her neck, breathing a big sigh of relief when I felt her pulse under my fingers. I wanted to pick her up, to hold her, but I knew one of the worst things to do to someone with a head injury was move them. I left her where she was, getting slowly to my feet as I looked around. Except for the sunlight barely starting to creep through the window, the room was dark, but thanks to my night vision I could tell nothing was broken or out of place, so how had she gotten hurt? I grabbed one of the towels I used to clean my guitar, tucking it carefully around her head to help slow the bleeding. But then I froze, having caught a blur of movement from the corner of my eye.

Then the next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain in my arm, and I looked down to see a large dart in my shoulder. I yanked it out, knowing it wouldn't help anything, but not wanting it stuck in there when I went down from the drugs. Except it never happened. Instead of the paralysis and blackout, I started feeling like I was about to lose control. And I'm sure if it weren't for my ISS, I would have. I gave in to the urge to go to all fours, my ears going flat as my vision changed, everything getting faded out until I focused on it, and right now that was the shadow pressing back against the wall. Staring back at me with narrowed eyes and a smug grin.

"That's right, foxy," I didn't know the voice, and they were wearing scent block. No wonder I hadn't noticed them. The growl I hadn't even known I was letting out deepened when they hit a button on the wall, one I'd had installed in every room of this place. Hitting it triggered a silent alarm in the security hub, and there was a second one in there that would bring the cops if pressed. But why would they do that? I started toward them, when a noise behind me made me stop in my tracks.

"Nick?" Carrots brushed my tail, drawing my focus back to her.

"Don't try to move," I held her paws to her chest. "You've got a head injury, Carrots."

She groaned, shifting just enough to peek around me. Her eyes widened, and she grabbed my tail.

"T-That's who…who did this to me…"

"What?" I turned back to them, baring my teeth. I should've asked all this at the start. "Who are you? How'd you even get in here?"

They just laughed.

"I'm afraid you'll have to figure that out for yourself, foxy," they squeezed off another shot, Carrots squeaking as it hit her. I turned and jumped on her, doing my best to hold her down as it took effect, putting most of my weight across her feet to keep her from kicking out. Her nose twitched like crazy as she stared up at me, her eyes so dilated they might as well be black. My ears flicked back as the other mammal in the room laughed, but I didn't pay much attention. Judy was stronger than she looked, and now that she was savage her 'fight or flight' instincts had taken over, and it would only take half a second of losing my focus for her to get away from me. The last thing I wanted was her getting more hurt than she already was.

"Judy, it's me, sweetheart," I whispered, leaning closer to her. A big risk, since she was snapping those giant teeth at me. I bared my neck, trying to show her I wasn't a threat. "It's Nick…"

Something in my voice seemed to make her stop, but I didn't ease up. Good thing, too, because the next second, she was losing it again, thrashing around as she tried to bite my paws off, and when she couldn't, she let out a scream I'd never thought a mammal could make. One I'd give anything to hear again when she suddenly went limp, her heart going so fast I could barely tell it was beating at all. But I didn't get a chance to feel more than that, because the weakness I'd been expecting came over me out of nowhere, and it seemed to be making up for lost time. Next thing I knew, I was lying on top of her, feeling like I'd been buried alive in wet cement. I stared at the mammal who'd shot us, my vision blurring as they knelt; I could barely feel it when they grabbed my chin.

"Better enjoy this little nap, Nicky," they let me go. "Because it's going to be the best sleep you'll have in a _long_ time…"


	84. Chapter 84

I somehow managed not to freak out when I realized I was restrained this time, I was too busy trying to figure out what the hell had happened last night. Who had that mammal been, and what had they been trying to do, making Carrots go savage like that? There'd been an antidote for months, and both of us had ended up blacking out anyway, I just didn't get it. I knew one thing, though, it was connected to everything else that had happened, and I couldn't shake the feeling that they were still nowhere near done yet.

"Yeah, doc said he should wake up any time now," Ed's voice, low and far off. I cracked my eyes open and saw him standing in the corner, his mane even more puffed up than usual. He groaned, rubbing a paw over his eyes. "Ugh, my head's killing me right now, I don't even know what happened last night…"

 _Wait a second…_

I saw them trip the alarm, but as far as I knew, no one had ever shown up. Had they drugged the team, then hit the switch to prove some kind of sick point? I sat up as much as I could with my wrists tied down, thumping my tail against the bed to let him know I was awake. He glanced at me, nodding before going back to his phone.

"I'm gonna fill him in on what I can, but I don't see it going too well," he looked my way again, then swallowed. "Keep me updated."

He hung up and shoved it in his shirt pocket, dragging a paw through his mane as he came over and dropped into one of the chairs next to the bed. He wouldn't look at me.

"I…don't really know what to tell you, boss," he and Rocco only called me that when they felt guilty. "Leo and I, w-we should've…"

I shook my head.

"I don't want any of you guilt-tripping yourselves," I tugged a bit at my restraints, my paws were starting to go numb. "I should've listened when you said we should go somewhere else after Brandon showed up, but I insisted on staying there because I thought I could handle anything that came at us."

I sighed and laid back, my ears twitching as he shuffled around. He gulped, then finally faced me.

"Roc and Leo are still looking, b-but it's looking like…" he looked away again, and my heart dropped right into my gut.

"W-What do you mean?" I sat up, fighting the tug of the restraints. How could I have not noticed sooner? "Ed…where's Judy?"

He cringed, his ears going flat against his head.

"I-I should've told you this first, boss," his next breath shook. "Judy…s-she's…gone…"

It felt like I'd just been shanked, and I don't know how long passed while I stared at him, my mouth dropped open.

"W-What?" my tail thumped against the bed. "W-What do you mean? Gone?"

He shook his head.

"Leo and I didn't wake up until this morning," he explained. "Both of us had tranq darts in our backs, big enough to take out polar bears. And just before that, one of the outside cameras went full static, so I…I went out to take a look. When I came back, he was already out…"

He shook his head again.

"Like I said, he and Roc are still looking around, but it's not looking good."

His phone went off just after he'd finished. He pulled it out and put it on speaker.

 _"_ _Ed, I think we've got something!"_ it was Leo. He sounded exhausted. _"It was taped to the back of Trevor's bass drum, but I can't make heads or tails of it!"_

"Get a clear shot of it," Ed told him. I still couldn't get my jaw to work. "Nick's awake now, he should be able to get it."

 _"_ _Right, I'm on it!"_ there was some shuffling, then a few clicks. A minute or two later, Ed's phone buzzed. _"Did you get it?"_

He opened the picture, but didn't show it to me yet.

"Yeah, we got, Leo. Is this all you guys have found?"

 _"_ _So far, yeah, but we'll keep looking!"_ there was a muffled 'shit!' as he likely dropped his phone, then the call cut off. Ed rolled his eyes, then turned his phone toward me. I took one look, and my blood froze.

 _'_ _Rain4 Safari zorro ember vase4 Base listed forest indigo4 Open rain gray gray open base4 Yet forest north north base43 Mud rain xenia listed open zorro heat40 Rain under4 Base listed forest4 Vase ember vase indigo4 Dawn zorro mud gray4 Gray listed4 Heat vase vase4 Safari vase indigo4 Zorro open rain ember vase4 Zorro tundra zorro rain mud43 Xenia listed open vase4 Gray listed4 Gray safari rain heat4 Zorro west west indigo vase heat heat43 Forest mud zorro indigo north vase west4 Zorro mud west4 Zorro open listed mud vase40 Rain gray4 Dawn rain open open4 Yet vase4 Quest forest heat gray4 Gray safari vase4 Gray dawn listed4 Listed under4 Forest heat40 Kite vase indigo safari zorro kite heat4 Dawn vase4 Xenia zorro mud4 Vase ember vase mud4 North zorro past vase4 Zorro4 West vase zorro open42'_

A few seconds later, it buzzed again, and another picture came up: _'this was on the back, i'm not liking this!'_

"Neither am I, Leo," I muttered. I took it from Ed to get a closer look. "Neither am I…"

* * *

"You sure you should be doing this?" Ed stood by the window, peeking past the curtain as I got dressed. "You know one of us could always go-"

"No," I grabbed my shirt and yanked it on. The last of the fog in my head had cleared in the past hour, and I'd discharged myself against medical advice when the doc said she wanted to keep me for observation. I didn't care what happened to me, all I cared about was getting Judy back safe. I'd told Rocco exactly what I'd need for this, and he hadn't wasted any time getting it together and bringing it here. "They asked for me, and that's exactly what they're gonna get."

I wasn't even trying to keep the growl out of my voice now. He shivered, his face going blank when he turned to me. I'd just pulled a broken down gun from the bottom of the pack Rocco had brought me.

"How'd that even…"

"There's all kinds of mammals that still owe me favors," I barely glanced at him. "I just had to call in some to make security turn their heads."

I put it together from memory, Ed swallowing when he saw just how fast I was at it.

"With everything I've seen you do since this case started, I'm wondering why you even bothered to hire all of us in the first place?"

I shrugged, reaching in the pack again for two empty mags and a new box of bullets. That little bet with Carrots had used up the last of what I'd had.

"I knew we wouldn't be able to handle everything that came at us by ourselves," I started thumbing them in. I'd forgotten how much I liked the small click as they locked into place. I looked up at him, flashing a ghost of a smile. "And I wanted to help out some friends."

He and Rocco were only three years older than me, I'd met them in a park in the Rainforest District when I was twelve. They'd been walking home from school when I'd bowled into one of them. Tony had just gotten his license, and he dragged me out of the house whenever he could, so there'd be even less chance our parents would catch the twisted shit he and his friends did to me. I couldn't remember what they'd been doing that day, but I'd finally managed to get away and they'd been chasing me all over the place. I hadn't expected either of them to stand up for me, but once they'd seen who was after me, that was exactly what they'd done. They'd brought me home so their mom could patch me up, and we'd been friends ever since. Then when I'd come across them in that same park a few weeks later, they'd introduced me to their cousins, Trevor and Paul. I shut the box and pushed it back in the pack. Ed swallowed.

"Are you sure you're even gonna need that?" he asked, his eyes still locked on the gun. "We still don't even fully know what's going on here."

I picked it up and grabbed one of the mags, sliding the other in the inner pocket of my jacket.

"It's called a vendetta, pal," I slapped the magazine in and yanked back the slide, shoving it in the holster tucked in my waistband. "And this one just got more personal."

I grabbed the bag and zipped it shut, throwing it over my shoulder as I went for the door. My car was already waiting for me in the parking lot, and thanks to that last note, I knew exactly where I had to go.

 _Hope you're ready for hell, Delilah,_ my claws sank into the strap as my fist tightened. _Because you just made your_ last _mistake._


	85. Chapter 85

_"_ _Dad, what is this place?"_

 _I looked around, covering my nose. It smelled like Fin's old diapers and a wet dumpster. Dad laughed, clapping me on the back._

 _"_ _This is going to be our new headquarters, Nicky," he waved a hoof around, I guess trying to show me how great the place was. All I could think was that I was never gonna get this stink outta my nose. "Because once you turn fourteen, you're gonna start training for you own private detective badge!"_

 _I groaned, keeping my paws over my nose._

 _"_ _But I don't_ want _to be a private eye, dad," I looked up at him. "I've told you and mom, I want to be a teacher!"_

 _It'd been my dream for about as long as I could remember, and I was going to do whatever it took to get it. And as much as he and Mom supported me, I knew they didn't really believe it could happen. 'There's never been a fox teacher', that's what everyone always said, and every time I heard it just made me more determined to make it happen. He just looked at me, then sighed and knelt down, putting his hooves on my shoulders._

 _"_ _Look, Nicky…" he swallowed. "I know you want to help mammals, and your mom and I couldn't be more proud of you for that, but…"_

 _"_ _I know," I pulled away and crossed my arms. "You just don't think it's gonna happen. Well, guess what?"_

 _I didn't wait for him to answer._

 _"_ _They said the same thing about foxes being lawyers,_ and _about us being doctors, and even just firefighters!" I threw my arms down. "If the world can handle all that, then I'm sure they can handle a fox teacher!"_

 _He just looked at me again, then got up and walked into another room. He didn't look back._

And then just a few months later, that dream had come crashing down. I'd closed myself off after that, anything to avoid feeling crushed like that again. But then I'd met Delilah, and just when I'd finally started feeling like my old self, she'd betrayed me, and I'd promised myself that I'd never be dumb enough to fall in love again.

 _And just look how well_ that _turned out…_

I hadn't been here since that time Dad had taken me, and it looked even worse than it had then. Whatever had caused that smell was apparently gone, though, because I couldn't really pick up any scents besides mine and the ones that clung to my car. It was just as cold and creepy as I remembered, and just as empty. I zipped my jacket and went for the door, keeping my paws in my pockets. The echo made the hinges sound like a dying elephant, I pulled out the flashlight I'd grabbed from the glove compartment and flipped it on, holding it by my shoulder as I made my in. It would blind anyone who tried to sneak up on me, even if the creaky, rotting floor made that almost impossible.

 _Starting to wish I'd brought a gas mask…_

I could barely see through the dust floating everywhere, coughing whenever a cloud blew up in my face. It didn't look like anyone had touched this place in decades, and I started to wonder why they hadn't demolished it yet.

 _Judy's here somewhere, though,_ I sneezed, jumping back when a bunch of moths came out from behind what was left of a curtain. Delilah was a lot of things, and despite how much she twisted the truth, she'd never outright lied. At least, not to any of us.

I pushed open the last door, except the one that opened to the alley out back, my ears and stomach dropping when I saw the room was empty. There were trails in the dust on the floor: footprints and drag marks, so _something_ had been here recently, but I couldn't get any scents besides dust, damp wood and just general rot. There was a piece of paper between four circles, close enough to be from the legs of a bunny-sized chair. I swept it up and shook it out, and I couldn't stop the growl that came out when I read what was on it.

"Damn it!"

 _'_ _I have your little bunny, Nicolas. If you ever want to see her alive again, come to this address, unarmed and alone. It will be just the two of us. Perhaps we can even make a deal!'_

* * *

I should've known it wouldn't have been that easy. Nothing up to this point had been that straightforward, and now who knew how much time I'd lost?

I'd sprinted outside and jumped in my car, taking a closer look at the address scrawled on the back of the first note: I'd switched two of the numbers, and going by this new code, that was exactly what she'd wanted me to do.

 _'Listed safari43 Heat listed indigo indigo base43 Mud rain xenia past base43 Yet forest gray4 Mud listed gray4 Juice forest rain gray vase4 Gray safari vase indigo vase4 Base vase gray40 Heat forest indigo vase4 Base listed forest4 Safari zorro ember vase4 Gray safari vase4 Indigo rain tundra safari gray4 Vase mud west4 Listed under4 Alien listed listed gray listed quest rain zorro43 Heat dawn vase vase gray safari west zorro gray41'_

I turned the car on and took off, throwing road safety laws out the window as I hightailed it toward the Meadowlands. I used every shortcut I knew, most I hadn't used since I'd worked for my godfather, keeping me out of sight of the cops. I couldn't risk them stopping me, even if they were likely to give me a pass if I told them what was going on. Keeping one paw on the wheel, I pulled out my phone, slowing down just enough so I could focus on both at once. I sent the address to Trevor and my whole team, saying if they hadn't heard from me by midnight, to tell the cops at Precinct One that we'd been kidnapped. It wasn't much of a backup plan, but it was a hell of a lot better than nothing.

 _And I don't really have time to do much else…_

Even with how fast I was going, it still took way too long to get there, my fur standing on end when I saw there were no guards. I'd always known I was walking right into a trap, but this was a little too obvious. I eased the car behind an old shipping crate, I'd be an idiot if I just left it in the open, making sure the gun was still there as I made my way to the old warehouse. Unless there was a mammal in there that could smell metal and oil above everything else floating in the air around here, no one would be able to tell I even had it. But it wasn't like I planned on drawing it, anyway, unless I didn't have a choice. Despite what a lot of mammals, and the media, think I'm not a fan of them, but like I proved to Carrots, I'm no idiot with them, either.

 _This could just be another trick for all I know,_ I slipped inside, wishing my night vision would adjust faster. They could be past Bunnyburrow by now for all I knew, and Delilah had just set this up to make me waste time. It wouldn't be the first time someone had pulled a stunt like that on me, but at least that time my girlfriend's life hadn't been on the line. _You've gone_ way _too far this time, bitch…_

I stopped when something clicked behind me, and the next second I was hissing in pain as the room was flooded with light. I covered my eyes against the glare, my ears going flat when I heard voices: a high-pitched giggle and a low, cracked laugh. When I could finally see again, I spun toward them, and it felt like I'd just been dropped in Mr. Big's icing pit.

"No…" I started shaking, my heart dropping through the floor when I saw the mammal sitting between them. "It _can't_ be…"

They chuckled, and it was all I could do to keep from falling to my knees.

"That's right, Nicky, it's me."


	86. Chapter 86

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My legs still shaking, I walked slowly forward, forgetting anyone else was even in the room as I focused on the mammal in front of me, staring into eyes I'd thought had closed for the last time years ago.

"It can't be…" I stopped, barely able to keep from collapsing. "H-How can this…I-I thought you were…"

My dad shook his head, reaching up to rub a scar on his cheek that hadn't been there before. In fact, had he not spoken, I wouldn't have even been able to tell it was him. He'd always been big for a zebra, but now he looked like he'd been living off steroids the last fifteen years, and all the scars made me think he'd lost a fight with Edward Scissorpaws.

"They just said what I wanted you to hear, Nicky," he explained. "I needed to give you a reason to stop visiting the hospital, and what better way than for me to be on my deathbed?"

His chair creaked as he got up, his footsteps as quiet as always as he came over and knelt in front of me, putting his hooves on my shoulders like he'd done all the time when I was a kit. Suddenly feeling exhausted, I glared up at him, but couldn't bring myself to shake him off. Because despite everything they'd done to me in the past: killing my birthmother, blaming me for Tony's psycho stunts and shipping me off to that hell hole asylum, part of me had still missed him, all of them more than anything. It took every ounce of strength I could gather not to start crying, to bury my face in his chest like I'd done as a kid.

"I can't believe this," I swiped a fist across my eyes and pulled back, shoving the damn sadness down in the dirt where it belonged. "I thought Tony was the one behind it all: targeting fans of my band, using the same type of flower he used to force me to eat to make them lose their fucking minds. You even brought in Delilah and got Judy mixed up in all this!"

I didn't realize I was shouting until I'd finished, my dad staring at me like I'd just stabbed him in the gut. But then that shocked look faded, and he actually _smiled._

"I'm not surprised you don't understand, son," he got up and went back to his chair, dropping heavily into it. I scoffed.

"Please, you've tormented this city for months," I cut him off. "You made me relive every fucked-up thing that happened to me, I almost fucking _died_ because of what you pulled!"

I stormed closer, now wanting nothing more than to rip him apart with my own claws.

"And if that wasn't enough, you put all my friends and the girl I love in danger! Where's Judy," I demanded, swiping a paw through the air. "Let her go, now!"

But Dad just gave me that look again, then slowly shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Nicky," he said. "Not until you understand what I've done for you."

He held out his hooves, almost like he was offering something, but I didn't have time for his games, and I didn't give a shit about anything else he might have to say. I reached behind me and whipped out my gun, pulling back the hammer and aiming for his head.

"Let…Judy…go," I growled slowly, my finger tightening on the trigger. All it would take was one shot, or three, if I felt like taking the other two out once I had her back. I managed a smirk. "And while he's getting her, why don't you two tell me why _you_ got involved in all this?"

I looked to Tony first; he'd been glowering at me since the lights had come on. He laughed, the sound dropping into a thick cough.

"I-I got to bust out of jail, _and_ get another chance to fuck with you," he laughed again, dragging in a few wheezing breaths. "Why wouldn't I get involved?"

I rolled my eyes, keeping my grip steady as I focused on Delilah.

"And what about you, sweetheart?" I used the tone I knew she liked. She just glared at me, every inch of her fur puffed as her tail snapped in rage.

"You _dumped_ me," she ground out. "All the things I did for you and that shitty band, we all I know _I_ was the only reason you got big in the first place!"

I shook my head.

"You stole from us, Delilah," I started flatly. "From _me._ You screwed three other guys behind my back, _at least,_ and you did everything you could to cause as much drama as possible."

I flashed a blank look.

"And then when I caught you, you blamed me, you laughed in my face, then let your chew toys loose on me," I smirked again. "But you didn't look so confident when I beat their asses, even if you did try to blame me for that, too."

She'd called the cops on me after she'd run off, and all it had taken was a little video from a near-by camera to clear my name.

"I stopped sleeping around when I met you, Delilah," I went on. "I thought you'd be the girl I ended up marrying, but then you let your greed and need for attention take over, and I knew you could never really care about anybody but yourself."

I looked back to my dad, my eyes narrowing when I saw he hadn't moved an inch.

"I thought I told you to go get Judy," I glared at him down the barrel. "Not stay on your ass and enjoy the floor show."

He chuckled again, then nodded to Tony.

"You know where she is," he turned to Delilah. "Go with him, and I don't think I need to explain what'll happen if she's harmed any more than it took to get her here."

I could feel the hatred flowing off them in waves, but they still listened, walking stiffly toward some door behind his chair. He stared straight at me before his eyes flicked over my shoulder, and less than a second later, I was yanked off my feet, my gun clattering to the floor as my arms were snatched up in huge paws. I gulped.

"M-Max?" it couldn't be, not them, too! "J-Jeremy?"

They laughed.

"Not surprised it took you so long to figure out, _boss,_ " Jeremy sneered down at me, Max still chuckling.

"Yeah, short stack, where did you _think_ we'd been all this time?"

I struggled, but they held me too tightly, standing just out of range of any kick I could try.

"I thought you guys had just quit," I admitted. "Preds were doing that all over the city, if they weren't fired first."

Max laughed again.

"The only reason we even came to work for your scrawny ass was so we could give your old man the info he needed to start all this shit." he glared at me. "And who else could've screwed with the gate and cameras like that?"

I froze, my heart stopping as I stared up at him. Everything these two had done for me, all the trust I'd put in them, had just been a lie? My ears flicked as Jeremy snickered, but I didn't bother facing him.

"Our whole plan was to turn this city on its head, scare all the damn prey away, then build a real wall to keep their weak little asses out," his glare burned holes in the back of my head. "But thanks to you and that damn bunny, that just ain't gonna happen, and now it's gonna be so much fun watching you two burn."

Hearing that, getting the image stuck in my head of Judy screaming as she was eaten by flames, had me fighting harder than ever. I'd almost gotten free when something jabbed me in the side, and I looked to see Max had hit me with a fox taser. I growled, shutting up when he switched it on again.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," my dad got up, slashing the air with a hoof. "You two, quit screwing around and put him down, then check the perimeter. I need to have a private chat with my son."

We all looked at him like he was nuts, but they dropped me, anyway, laughing as I fell in a heap. I stayed in a crouch, keeping my eyes locked on him as he kicked my gun back to me, then sat across from me. I couldn't believe what I saw in his eyes: guilt, regret, and…was he actually _proud_ of me?

"I know your mother and I made a lot of mistakes with you, son," he started, like he _hadn't_ just ordered his goons to break into my house and kidnap my girlfriend. "And I'll never be able to apologize enough for that, but it's high time you learned what all of this was _really_ about."

I just stared at him, my eyes narrowed.

"You mean how you hired Judy's psycho uncle, who almost _killed_ me, by the way, to create a drug that would make mammals lose their minds, and how he ended up turning it into a twisted version of some candy to get kits involved?" I bared my teeth. " _Or_ how you blew up her apartment, and the ones around it, just to get some kind of sick message to me?"

I growled again, smirking when I saw him draw back.

"I readily admit to making animals go savage, but it had nothing to do with wanting to clean some species out of the city," he swallowed, his ear flicking as he took a deep breath. "I planned all of that because of you, Nicolas."

My jaw dropped, and I barely managed to catch myself when I toppled over, and I just stared at him. I hadn't just head that right, I couldn't have!

"W-W-What?"

"It's true," he nodded once. "I did all this, so you could be the hero I knew you were always meant to be."

 _'_ _Oh, sorry, Nicky, but not quite there yet. Sure you have the right end of Zootopia, sweetheart?'_


	87. Chapter 87

I still couldn't do more than stare at him, trying in vain to wrap my head around what the hell he'd just said. I don't know how long I sat there before he sighed, running a hoof through what was left of his mane before he focused on me again.

"I know it's too little, too late, but I have to apologize to you, Nick. I didn't want to believe Tony was capable of all those things he did to you, and by the time I did, your mother and I had already lost you," he sighed again, the hoof that'd been rubbing the back of his neck dropping into his lap. "We'd let you become the mammal everyone always accused you of being, and I'm so, so sorry for that. I should've done more to-"

I held up a paw, pressing my claws into the side of my head. It was spinning like crazy, and all this was just making it a hundred times worse.

"It…took a long time," I started. "For me to get past all that, and you're right, it's way too little, way too late. But that's _not_ the explanation I need right now."

I leaned forward, trying to keep my tail from flicking around as I stared him down.

"What's all this shit about wanting me to be some kind of hero?"

He actually chuckled.

"You'd already walked away from us by then, and I don't blame you, it was the least we deserved," he swallowed. "But even before then, I'd asked Silano and his family to keep an eye on you, to be there for you if we couldn't. He told us the kind of mammal you were becoming, how you always tried to help whoever was around you, even if they almost never accepted it."

He stopped, like he expected me to ask something, but I couldn't get my mouth to work, or really anything. Eventually, he shoved out a breath, and kept talking.

"He also told us when you decided to leave that life behind, and that you'd started a band," he chuckled again. "You always did have a thing for music."

I'd started playing guitar when I was seven, but then I'd started going in and out of Meadowbrook, and had just kind of stopped. I'd checked myself out of that hellhole for the last time on my eighteenth birthday, and it'd taken me weeks to actually start playing again, and just after I'd turned nineteen, Trevor and I had decided to start the band. The name had started as a joke, something they'd all started calling me after I'd protected Mercy from some thugs one time. We hadn't been able to come up with anything else, so eventually we'd decided just to stick with it. I scoffed.

"So _tate_ kept tabs on me for you, and he managed to do a better job than you guys ever did," I flashed my teeth again. "Just tell me when the hell you came up with this stupid plan already."

He shook his head.

"You always were impatient," he muttered, then cleared his throat. "Anyway, when that cancer landed me in the hospital, I paid the staff to tell you I was dying, since I knew that, once you thought they'd pulled the plug, you wouldn't have any reason to go back. That's also where all of this started taking shape."

 _Finally,_ I thought, but kept quiet.

"At first, I was just going to make mammals sick, but then your mother was…was attacked by…a horse who'd…gone savage."

I felt like my jaw would fall off if my mouth dropped open anymore.

"W-What…"

"You would've been twenty-three," he said simply, his voice thick with something, but it didn't last. "It didn't take me long to make the connection, once I'd remembered those flowers Tony had…used on you."

"They're called Night Howlers," I spat. It was the first coherent thought I'd had since he'd started all this. "No one ever thought to make an antidote for it, since the effects never lasted more than hour, at least until _you_ came along."

He cringed, and I noticed several of his teeth were missing. What the hell had he been doing to himself?

"I knew then that just making mammals sick would never be enough, big changes never come that easily," he gave a weak smile. "So I found someone who not only knew those flowers inside and out, but was able to turn them into the weapon I needed."

"Who just so happened to be Judy's batshit crazy uncle," I growled. "He tried to shoot me with my own gun, then ended up blowing his brains out after murdering one of his sons."

He shoved out a breath.

"I'll admit, I had no idea just how deeply his hatred of predators went, I just needed his skills," he seemed to draw back from me. "It took some time, but eventually, he developed those pellets, and later, those pills."

He looked up, and I couldn't tell what I was supposed to see in his eyes, it was just one big, clouded mess.

"I came across Delilah by chance, and when I told her what I was planning, she jumped right in, suggesting we should target fans of your band, though even then I suspected she had other motives for helping me," he barely waited for me to nod. "Tony was the same way, though I never could figure out what caused him to…dislike you, as much as he did."

I shrugged, I'd never been able to, either.

"I took care of the shots," he went on. "Since I knew Tony would never be able to just stick to the targets, and she didn't have what it took to be a sharpshooter."

I couldn't believe it when I managed to laugh. I'd tried teaching her to shoot, but she'd always complained that guns were too loud, and she'd never been able to keep her paws steady enough to actually get a shot off.

"I was sick of so many species being treated so poorly," he drew my attention back to him. "So I was random with who I chose, the only real link being they were all fans of yours, even if things did get more complicated once Wyatt introduced those pills of his.

"I had no idea he'd even developed them until he'd started using them, and by then, there hadn't been much I could do to stop them from getting out into the streets, even with Silano's help," he swallowed again. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting you and Judy to join forces, or for you to become involved, but I guess all that's beside the point. You two make quite the impressive team."

I couldn't keep from smiling.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing," my tail bristled, and my smile dropped. "But you shot at her, you were less than an inch away from killing her!"

He shook his head.

"I'm afraid Tony took that one upon himself, I wasn't able to stop him," his ear flicked again, and I started thinking what was left of the other was paralyzed. "Same thing with Delilah and Judy's apartment building. I should've kept a closer eye on them, I'm sorry."

I scoffed; like that would've ever been enough. I waited for him to start talking again, but he never did, so I guessed his little 'explanation' was over with. It at least gave me a chance to start trying to wrap my head around it, how he'd somehow managed to see all this as him trying to _help_ me somehow. When I thought I'd finally started processing it, I looked back at him, my gut tightening when I realized how silent it was. Why weren't those two back with Judy by now? Just how big was this place?

"I'll admit I did have one other reason for all of this," he said suddenly. I focused on him, my eyes narrowed. "Yes, I wanted you to save the city from a crisis, but I also wanted a way to bridge the rift between predators and prey. This city was founded on the idea that our classes could live together peacefully, and while it may seem that way on the surface, we both know it's not actually true."

I hated agreeing with him, but I had to admit he was right. The fact was preds and prey were still very much at each others' throats, and while a small part of me could almost see where he was coming from, I knew there was a better way, hundreds even, for it to happen.

But I didn't get the chance to mention any of them.

The shot came from behind me, ripping away the top half of my dad's head. He sat there a second before falling over, blood still pumping in spurts across the floor. I don't know how long passed before I could move again, tears I could barely even feel starting to run down my face as I slowly turned to look over my shoulder. Jeremy was standing there, his gun smoking in his outstretched paw, a snarl on his face. Max was behind him, his eyes wide and mouth gaping; he took one glance at me, then spun and hightailed it.

I couldn't understand why I was so pissed off, but once it'd started slipping past the shock, I hadn't been able to keep it down. I was on all fours, hackles raised, the world fading out like it always did as my eyes locked on the polar bear in front of me. I'd never heard myself growl like that, my ears pinned back as I stalked toward him; his gun clicking empty was the last thing I heard before completely losing it.


	88. Chapter 88

He swatted me aside like a bug, which I probably was to him. He laughed, throwing his gun somewhere as I got back to me feet. The hit had dazed me, but I wasn't about to let it stop me. I turned on him, growling again when I saw the smirk on his face.

"That old grazer was going senile," he laughed again, then sidestepped me when I leapt at him. "Did he really think preds and prey could be equal?"

I shook my head, swiping at my snout as I got back up. I hadn't been this deep in it since Tony had force fed me those flowers; I was amazed I could understand him.

"You're even worse than they are, you little pelt," he grabbed my jacket when I finally latched on to him, tossing me into the wall. I barely heard the yelp I made, but the pain spreading through my side was easy to ignore, as long as adrenaline kept pumping through me. I may've been mostly savage, but I was still rational enough to know just blindly jumping at him like this was never gonna be enough to bring him down. I had to get back in control, at least enough that I could actually think without my head hurting. "You foxes barely count as preds, anyway, but you can't even smell meat without getting sick!"

He kicked me off when I latched onto his leg, throwing me at the wall again. I had to calm down, I couldn't fight him like this! I slid to a stop, my tail snapping behind me as I snarled at him, dulled pain pulsing through me with every breath I dragged through my clenched teeth. He just stared down at me, then cracked up.

"Y-You really think you can hurt me, don't you?" he stomped forward, and I yipped as I jumped back, barely staying out of reach as he kept trying to crush me. "All I have to do is step on you!"

I growled at him, ducking behind my dad's chair. It'd been bolted to the floor, and he ripped it off like they weren't even there. I hesitated just long enough for him to reach down, darting between his legs right before he would've snatched me. It was taking almost everything I had to try and force my ISS back under control, but I didn't have any choice if I was going to beat him. I came to the still-cooling pool of my dad's blood, trying not to gag at the smell as I jumped over it, throwing myself in a roll as I hit the floor. I came up on one knee, facing him with my gun clutched tightly in my paws. Jeremy stopped, still smirking as he held up his paws.

"I know how good you are with a gun," he admitted. "But I also know you've never aimed for the kill. You don't have it in you."

My aim faltered, but just for a second. Even when I'd worked for my godfather, all the firefights I'd either gotten myself into or been dragged into, I'd always shot to wound or disarm, never to kill. And I doubted a gun this small would even be capable of that against him, anyway. I jumped aside as he tried to squash me again, staying on two feet this time. It slowed me down, but if I tucked the gun in my holster or waistband, I knew I wouldn't have enough time to draw it again. I was still faster than him, though, and a lot more agile, since I didn't have nearly as much weight to lug around.

 _And that gives me an idea…_

"Hey, fat ass!" I smirked at him over my shoulder. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to catch me!"

The taunt was pretty juvenile, but it did the job, pissing him off enough to hopefully forget watch where he was going.

"You smug little piece of shit!" he sped up, completely blind to the trap I'd set. I jumped aside at the last second, and I couldn't keep from laughing as he slammed into the wall. His teeth were bared as he snapped his head toward me, and I knew it wouldn't be as easy to trick him a second time, but hopefully this wouldn't take much longer. It was kind of a three-fold plan: to see if I could make him knock himself out, or if not, then to work up enough nerve to kill him if it came to that. The third was it was just fun.

"I'd ask if you want some ice for that, but I think your skull's thick enough to absorb the impact," I stepped back as he swiped at me. "Whoa, whoa, no need to get testy, I'm just telling the truth!"

I took off before he'd even gotten back to his feet, and I was quick to notice he'd gotten slower, his movements jerkier. Guess that faceplant with the wall had caused some damage.

"You almost got me that time," I shouted after ducking under his next blow. "But you're looking kinda tired, should I give you a free shot?"

It had just the effect I wanted, and he threw himself at me, slamming into the floor when I rolled off to the side. It took him longer to get up this time, and I thought one or two more hits would do it. And that gave me probably the craziest idea I'd had all day. He'd barely gotten to his knees before I ran full-speed past him, jumping off the wall and throwing myself into the side of his head. I'd seen Carrots pull the stunt before, except she'd had the ropes of a boxing ring to work with, but it had pretty much the same effect, sending him right back to the floor. He still wasn't completely out of it, but he was at least too dazed to keep chasing me, which left me with a choice to make.

I could either do what I'd done in the past, and just tie him up with his own clothes, or I could do what was probably the smarter thing, at least in the long-term, which would be putting a bullet in his head. I stared down at the gun in my paw, I'd somehow managed to keep hold of it, asking myself if I could really do it. After all, I'd managed to survive all those years on the streets without killing anyone, and had still managed to gain most of that world's fear and respect. But then I glanced back at what was left of my dad, one of the mammals who'd helped raise me, and I felt that anger welling up again. Because despite all the lies, everything they'd made me go through, even if most of it had been unintentional, and the fact that I'd told myself I hated him and my mom since I was ten, I really didn't. At least, not as much as I thought I did.

 _Besides, if you don't kill him here, he'll just keep coming after you until you do._

I gulped, knowing that was true. After everything that'd happened, I couldn't risk it, no matter how far into the future it was. I thought about Carrots, and Mercy, Paul and Trevor. They'd already done so much for me, had helped me get past things I never would have alone, had all promised they'd always be there for me. Thinking about that, about everything I still had to lose, I knew there was only one thing I could do.

I held the gun to the back of Jeremy's head, took a deep breath, then pulled the trigger. I wasn't sure if it would actually be enough, but I didn't have the time, or the rounds to waste. I tucked it back in my holster, then hightailed it to the door Tony and Delilah had left through. I shoved it open, picking out Carrots' scent from the rest, some of which I didn't even want to try figuring out, and took off again. I didn't smell her blood, at least not yet, so I knew there was still a chance.

 _I'm coming for you sweetheart,_ I faltered as my side throbbed, but I didn't let it stop me for long. _Just hold on!_


	89. Chapter 89

_No wonder it's taken them so long…_

This place was even bigger than it looked, and that was without the basement to worry about. I'd followed her scent to a dead end, and I'd been about to turn back when I'd heard voices on the other side. It had taken way too long to find the switch that pulled back the wall, it was hidden behind a tile on the wall, even more grimy than the ones around it. I'd moved as silently as I could down the stairs, narrow and soaked with gas from the smell of it. They must've been planning to torch this place once they were done with us.

I strayed back when someone grunted, the pitch telling me it was Delilah or Judy.

"Grr, stop struggling, you stupid fuzzball!" it was Delilah alright.

"I will when you get your filthy paws off me!" that was Judy, more pissed than I'd ever heard her. "You'll never get away with this, you cowards!"

A deeper voice laughed, Tony.

"We're not trying to get away with anything, pipsqueak, we're just waiting for Jeremy to do his job before we drag you up there."

Judy growled, crying out as one of them smacked her.

"Don't give away too much now, Tony," Delilah said in that sickly sweet tone of hers. She'd used it on me all the time, and I hadn't realized until later that it'd just been a distraction. "You wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise!"

There was a pause, then some tapping as Tony screwed with his phone.

"Huh, guess he decided to do it the hard way…"

"Do _what_ the hard way?" Judy grunted, they must've tied her to something. "What the hell's going on up there?!"

"Ooh, we really _should_ show her, Tony," Delilah giggled. "Think how much more fun it'll be!"

He chuckled.

"Guess it would be, wouldn't it?" he grunted a bit, Judy huffing as she was thrown over his shoulder. I stepped back, heading for the stairs. The switch was in the same place, and I barely gave the door enough time to open before I squeezed through, aiming for that first room. It was still empty except for Jeremy and my dad, and I didn't waste time trying to figure out where Max had gone. He'd always been a chicken, and even back then I wasn't sure why I'd agreed to hire him, other than the fact I'd thought he was just another pred who needed a chance. I hopped in the chair, barely able to check that they couldn't see me before the door slammed open, Judy gasping when she saw the scene.

"W-What…"

"Easy, we took out that sad excuse of a boss," Tony walked right past me, and I could barely keep myself from puking when he stepped on one of our dad's eyes. He looked around, going stuff when he saw Jeremy lying there, blood soaking his headfur. "W-What the hell?"

"It wasn't too hard," it was hard to keep my voice casual. He jumped and spun toward me, his mouth dropped open. It lasted a few seconds, Judy landing hard on her side when he let her drop. She was tied wrist and ankle, but there was also a rope around her knees and another that kept her arms against her sides. I whistled. "Wow, you guys really are cowards, if you had to tie up a little bunny like that."

Judy glared at me, but I just smirked back. Delilah growled behind me; I caught her fist without even looking.

"You liar, there's no way you did all this!" I caught her other fist, my face blank as I turned toward her. She didn't stop trying to fight me off, even though she knew as well as I did that it was pointless. "You're way too much of a wuss!"

"Maybe when _you_ knew me, sweetheart," I said coldly, then shoved her back, hard enough to make her fall. "But it's been a few years since then, and I've done _a lot_ of growing up."

I slid off the chair, Tony stepping between me and Carrots.

"Like I'd just stand by and let you get to her," he sneered down at me. "I'm gonna kill you, Nicky, if it's the last thing I do."

I just stared blankly back at him, reaching behind my back to grab my gun.

"And it just might be, bro."

I took out his knee first, folding my ears back against his scream as he dropped to the floor. This was no time to act like a scared little kit.

"That was for treating me like shit for so long," I stepped closer, my next shot tearing into his gut. "And that was for Finnick. And this…"

I aimed for his head.

"Is just for being a huge piece of fucking shit."

I pulled the trigger, slamming the mask back in place when it started to slip. That was already two mammals I'd killed today, and there was a good chance there was about to be a third. I turned to Delilah, who was still lying on the floor, looking like she'd just pissed herself.

"You wanna keep living, I suggest you scram," I jerked a thumb toward Tony. "Otherwise, you'll end up like him."

She just kept staring at me, and when she finally realized I was serious, she scrambled to her feet and hightailed it straight out the door. I waited until I knew she was gone, then turned back to Judy, the gun slipping from my paw as I ran to her, dropping to my knees next to her.

"Oh, Judy," I couldn't keep the tears back, my whole body shaking as I started untying her. "I-I'm so sorry I got you into this, t-that you had to see me like that, I-I should've-"

It cut off when she threw herself at me, knocking us both to the floor. She kissed me, hard, and I did everything I could to return it.

"Oh, Nick," she kissed me again, her tears hitting my face. "You don't have anything to apologize for, you dumb fox, y-you saved me!"

She buried her face in my chest as I sat up, keeping one arm around her. I pulled out my phone, telling Ed she was safe, and that we'd need the cops. Slipping it in my pocket, I got to my feet, only to fall back to my knees as I gasped in pain.

"Nick?" she squirmed out of my grasp, grabbing the paw I'd clamped around my side. I breathed sharply, pushing myself up.

"It's nothing," I grunted, biting my tongue to keep back anything else. "I-I just got smacked around a bit by Jeremy over there, must've bruised some ribs."

"It looks like it's worse than that," she tugged my free paw. "Everyone should be here soon, let's go wait outside for them."

"Right," I leaned down and swiped my gun as we passed it, getting off a second shot in Jeremy's head. My paw tightened when she stared up at me. "I just want to make sure that bastard's good and dead."

She didn't argue, letting me take the lead as he headed outside, and I wasn't sure which of us groaned first when we saw it was raining. That was the problem with this district, the climate wasn't regulated like most of the city was, so half the time you had no idea what was coming at you.

"It could be worse," she held out a paw. "We could be stuck outside in Tundra Town or Sahara Square right now, and at least it's not a real heavy rain."

"Yeah," I leaned back against the wall, holding her to my chest, it hurt too much to sit. I smiled at her. "I honestly can't believe you're still with me after all this."

She didn't say anything, just nuzzled deeper into my shirt. I wrapped her in my jacket, doing what I could to keep her dry. We didn't talk after that, and I guessed she was as busy trying to process it all as I was. Finally, when I could just hear the sirens in the distance, she looked up at me, and I saw that her cheeks were wet.

"Hey, Nick," she dragged a paw slowly down my chest. "I-I was thinking, when all this is over, you wanna…go somewhere?"

I looked down at her.

"Go where, Fluff?"

She shrugged, tracing random lines across my shirt.

"Just…anywhere, really, just to get away from all this for a while."

I chuckled, tilting her chin back when she looked away from me.

"I think that sounds perfect, sweetheart," I leaned in to kiss her, when something made me freeze. I straightened, my eyes narrowing when I saw Delilah standing in the lot, completely soaked as her fur bristled in rage.

"You…" she jabbed a finger toward Judy, her whole arm shaking. "This…this is all your fault. We would've gotten away with all this if _you_ hadn't shown up!"

She sped toward us, and I pushed Judy behind me, being forced back when she collided with me. She pulled back just a step, and I could barely read the swirl of emotions in her eyes before she was taking off again. I watched her disappear into the overgrowth that surrounded this place before turning to Judy, only to see her eyes were as wide as plates, her paws pressed tightly to her mouth.

"N-Nick…"


	90. Chapter 90

_"_ _In the end, I'm realizing, I was never meant to fight on my own!"_

 _I let the last few notes fade out, then pulled off my guitar and set it on the stand. Carrots had asked me to play for her when we got back from the station, and I hadn't even thought about saying no. She watched me from her spot on the bed, her ears dark pink as she smiled at me. I climbed up next to her, loving the warmth that look sent through me._

 _"_ _Y-You wrote that," she asked. "Just because we had a fight?"_

 _I shook my head, taking her paw._

 _"_ _It wasn't just a fight, Judy," I said. "I pretty much tore you down and spit on your dream, all because I was too afraid to let you get close to me."_

 _I put a paw on her cheek._

 _"_ _I acted like one of the mammals we both hate, that judges on species and stereotypes, and doesn't care about going any deeper," I felt the scars under her fur, remembered the story she'd told me. "You're the last mammal to deserve all that shit I threw at you."_

 _She shook her head, putting a paw over mine._

 _"_ _You were scared, Nick. As much as it hurt, I understood why you did it," her blush deepened. "Well, I did after Mercy explained it all."_

 _She giggled, then leaned in and kissed my nose, squeaking when I licked her back._

 _"_ _But none of that matters to me anymore, it hasn't for months," she smiled. "The important thing is you apologized, Nick, and unlike a lot of mammals, you meant it."_

 _She hugged me, tucking herself right under my chin. I still couldn't believe how well we fit together, in this way and so many others. I'd stopped questioning it a long time ago, and I'd finally learned to accept it. Judy was one of the only girls who hadn't just tried to get me in bed with them, that didn't just laugh or agree with me whenever I said something, and she didn't hurt mammals just to get herself further ahead. She had a mind of her own and wasn't afraid to speak it, even if it had sometimes gotten her, or us in trouble._

 _"_ _Nick?" she pulled away, looking up at me. "Y-You don't think those bucks were hired by…whoever Delilah's working with, do you?"_

 _I shook my head._

 _"_ _I honestly couldn't say, Fluff," I smoothed a paw down her ears, now limp against her back. "But with everything else that's happened, I wouldn't really be surprised if they were."_

 _"_ _I wouldn't, either," she swallowed, then cuddled back into my chest. I kissed the top of her head._

 _"_ _We're close to figuring this out, I can feel it," I wrapped my tail around her when she shivered. "Then once it's all done, you and I are going on one hell of a vacation."_

 _She giggled again._

 _"_ _I'd like that, Slick, I really would, but…" she pushed back from me again. "D-Do you think it could wait a bit, at least until things have calmed down here?"_

 _I thought about it, deciding she had the right idea. It'd be better to see how things would go first before taking off._

 _"_ _Yeah, we can do that," I tugged her toward me, making her squeak again. "But know I'm gonna be keeping you completely in suspense."_

 _She rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep from smiling. She wrapped her arms around my neck, then kissed me._

 _"_ _I wouldn't expect anything less, Slick."_

I tasted blood before I felt the pain, and I finally forced myself to look down, only to see the black handle of a screwdriver sticking out of my chest. Judy whimpered as I fell back against the wall, tears running down her face as I flashed a weak smile.

"I-It's not like we haven't been th…through worse," I rasped, it was already getting hard to breathe, and my vision was starting to blur. I took the shank between my fingers, keeping it as steady as I could as I slid to the ground, Judy dropping to her knees next to me.

"Nick, please," her voice was strained, but I couldn't tell if she was crying or not. Nothing would focus, and I could feel myself slipping. I coughed, leaning over to spit blood on the sidewalk. She grabbed my shoulder to help prop me back up. "T-They're almost here, please, just hold on!"

I tried to chuckle, but all I could do was cough. It was almost impossible to breathe now, and I knew it wouldn't be much longer. My arm felt like lead when I lifted it, but I wasn't gonna let go without at least touching her one last time.

"J-Judy…" I traced a claw down her cheek, my paw almost slipping off when she snatched it, holding it to her face with both of hers. I could barely see the fear and sadness in her eyes; I groaned, and that same pain ripped through me as I leaned forward, catching her lips with mine. "I…I'm sorry…"

"No," she broke down, I could barely feel it when her grip tightened on my paw. "You can't do this to me, Nick, not when we've finally solved this case!"

Her claws dragged across my skin.

"N-Nick, please," she sobbed, turning to bury her face in my palm. I forced myself to move, scraping together everything I had left to bring her closer, just enough to kiss her again.

"I…I love you…"

And that was it, I couldn't hold on anymore. It was too cold, too heavy, too dark. I couldn't even breathe anymore, and I could barely smell my blood on her lips, or feel the rain as it soaked us. The last thing I heard was her begging as I fell back.

And then everything…

The pain…

Her crying…

It all, finally…

 _Faded…_


End file.
